Trial-and-error is an approach to inventions and problem-solving that can succeed in some situations more efficiently than other approaches.
A notable example of invention by trial-and-error is Thomas Edison's development of the commercially viable light bulb:[1]
“ | Edison’s “invention factory” in Menlo Park, New Jersey, tested more than 6,000 possible materials before finding one that fit the bill: carbonized bamboo. | ” |
An unsolved problem is predicting when trial-and-error is a more efficient approach to problem-solving or inventions than other approaches, such theoretical work.