Ad hoc
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase which means "for this [purpose]". It generally signifies a solution that has been custom designed for a specific problem, is non-generalizable and cannot be adapted to other purposes. Examples include a tailor-made suit, a handcrafted network protocol or a purpose-specific equation. Ad hoc can also have connotations of a makeshift solution, inadequate planning or improvised events.
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[edit] Ad hoc committee
Ad hoc is also used to describe a particular type of committee; one which is formed to deal with a particular issue, and disbanded after the issue is resolved. These committees provide stop gap or temporary measures to solve problems that are not resolved by ordinary processes of the organization to which the committee belongs. The GATT, for example, was controlled by an ad-hoc committee before the WTO was established.
[edit] Ad hoc hypothesis
In philosophy and science, ad hoc often means the addition of corollary hypotheses or adjustment to a philosophical or scientific theory to save the theory from being falsified by compensating for anomalies not anticipated by the theory in its unmodified form. Philosophers and scientists are often suspicious or skeptical of theories that rely on continual, inelegant ad hoc adjustments, and ad hoc hypotheses are often a characteristic of pseudoscientific subjects. See Skeptic's Dictionary: Ad hoc hypothesis. Much of scientific understanding relies on the modification of existing hypotheses or theories, but these are distinguished from ad hoc hypotheses in that the anomalies being explained propose a new means of being falsified.
An interesting example of an ad hoc hypothesis is Albert Einstein's addition of the cosmological constant to relativity in order to allow a steady-state universe. Although he later referred to it as his greatest mistake, it has been found to correspond quite well to the theories of dark energy.
[edit] Ad hoc pronunciation
Many reference works employ ad hoc pronunciation schemas as a way of indicating how words are pronounced. These are especially popular in U.S. published works, such as the Merriam-Webster dictionary. An example of an ad hoc pronunciation would be "DIK-shuh-nair-ee", where the capitalization shows which syllable is stressed. This is in contrast to systems such as the International Phonetic Alphabet, which attempt to put pronunciation schemas on a scientific footing.
Critics of ad hoc schemes point out that such schemas are inherently self-referential, since they rely on the ability of the reader to already know how a large number of words are commonly pronounced. In addition, such schemas often assume a certain language, dialect or accent on the part of the reader, and due to its popularity in the US, this is very often a US accent.
As its name suggests, there is no "standard" ad hoc schema, and so examples will vary considerably according to the publication's whim. In contrast, the IPA seeks to base pronunciation solely on vocal tract configurations and on the phonemes produced, though very often neo-common simple words are used to illustrate how the IPA applies in a specific language.
Proponents of ad hoc claim that it is much easier to use than IPA, though will often concur that this is usually only because the pronunciation is already known.
[edit] See also
[edit] External Links
- A review of several ad-hoc reporting tools (dated 1995)
- ad hoc hypothesis Robert Todd Carroll, Skeptic's Dictionary
