What is a use case?

A use case is fundamentally a detailed description that outlines how a user interacts with a system to accomplish a specific goal. It captures the requirements of a system from a user's perspective, detailing the steps involved in the interaction, including the main scenario and any alternative paths that might occur during the process. This approach aids in understanding user needs, functional requirements, and helps in designing systems that meet those needs effectively.

By specifying user interactions, use cases help stakeholders envision the system's functionality and work through potential issues during design and testing phases. This clarity makes it easier for developers to implement requirements and for stakeholders to validate that their needs are being met.

The other options do not accurately reflect the specific purpose and definition of a use case. A high-level overview of a project does not provide the granularity required to understand user interactions. A tool for tracking project progress is more aligned with project management techniques, while a report on project risks focuses on potential issues rather than detailing user-system interactions. Together, these distinctions highlight why the correct choice centers on the user's goal-oriented interactions with the system.