Iteration is an act of repeating a process with the aim of approaching a desired goal.
It is necessary to point out that it is not a process in which one proceeds from step one through ten in a linear fashion. Rather it is, by nature, a process in which progress is made haltingly, two steps forward and one step back. It is inherently circular .
To iterate means to repeat, to return to a previous state.
If, for example, your particular idea, upon analysis, turns out to violate the second law of thermodynamics, you can return to the ideation step and get a better idea!
Or, if necessary, you can return to an earlier step in the process, perhaps the background research and learn more about the problem.
(Ref: Kinetics and Kinematics of machinery — R. L Norton)
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