Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori. Common examples are organizations, committees, and commissions created at the national or international level for a specific task. In other fields the term may refer, for example, to a military unit created under special circumstances, a tailor-made suit, a handcrafted network protocol, or a purpose-specific equation. Ad hoc can also mean makeshift solutions, shifting contexts to create new meanings, inadequate planning, or improvised events.
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[edit] Ad hoc hypothesis
In science and philosophy, ad hoc means the addition of extraneous hypotheses to a theory to save it from being falsified. Ad hoc hypotheses compensate for anomalies not anticipated by the theory in its unmodified form. Scientists are often skeptical of theories that rely on frequent, unsupported adjustments to sustain them. Ad hoc hypotheses are often characteristic of pseudoscientific subjects.[1] Much of Ad hoc hypotheses are not necessarily incorrect, however. An interesting example of an apparently supported ad hoc hypothesis was Albert Einstein's addition of the cosmological constant to general relativity in order to allow a static universe. Although he later referred to it as his "greatest blunder," it has been found to correspond quite well to the theories of dark energy.[2]
[edit] Ad hoc querying
Ad hoc querying is a term in information science. Many application software systems have an underlying database which can be accessed by only a limited number of queries and reports. Typically these are available via some sort of menu, and will have been carefully designed, pre-programmed and optimized for performance by expert programmers.
By contrast, "ad hoc" reporting systems allow the users themselves to create specific, customized queries. Typically this would be via a user-friendly GUI-based system without the need for the in-depth knowledge of SQL, or database schema that a programmer would have.
Because such reporting has the potential to severely degrade the performance of a live system, it is usually provided over a data warehouse. Ad hoc querying/reporting is a business intelligence subtopic, along with OLAP, data warehousing, data mining and other tools.
[edit] Ad hoc military
In military, ad hoc units are created during unpredictable situations, when the cooperation between different units is needed for fast action. An example would be a military breakout.
[edit] Ad hoc networking
The term ad hoc networking typically refers to a system of network elements that combine to form a network requiring little or no planning.
See also [link]
References [link]
- ^ Carroll, Robert T. (23 February 2009), "Ad hoc hypothesis", The Skeptic's Dictionary, https://skepdic.com/adhoc.html, retrieved 1 May 2009
- ^ Texas A&M University (28 November 2007), "Einstein's Biggest Blunder? Dark Energy May Be Consistent With Cosmological Constant", ScienceDaily, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127142128.htm, retrieved 22 June 2008
Further reading [link]
- Howard, R. (2002), Smart Mobs: the Next Social Revolution, Perseus
External links [link]
The Wiktionary entry for ad hoc
https://wn.com/Ad_hoc
Ad hoc (disambiguation)
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase. It may also refer to:
Ad Hoc (restaurant)
Ad Hoc is a family-stylecomfort food restaurant in Yountville, California. Opened by Thomas Keller in September 2006, Ad Hoc was meant to serve as a temporary cafe for six months but was retained as a permanent establishment.
Early years
Thomas Keller opened Ad Hoc in 2006 to serve as a temporary cafe. His intention was to have Ad Hoc serve as a six-month venture while preparing his new restaurant for the space, which would focus on hamburger and wine pairings. Ad Hoc was opened quickly, with little changes to the decor in the temporary space, and serving a nightly single four-course meal at a flat price. One menu allowed Ad Hoc to limit problems with finding and stocking ingredients, and menus were planned loosely about a week in advance, and finalized 48 hours before. Occasionally the menu would change based on seasonal ingredients or last minute ingredient availabilities.
In 2006, Keller was interviewed by food critic Michael Bauer from SFGate and was asked if the venture would really be temporary. In response, he stated that he did not know and that if it was to go beyond the six month time period they would need to change the name and "...Maybe we'd call it Ad Lib." Bauer stated that the restaurant would become a permanent establishment, and described it having a "Chez Panisse sensibility."
