Ad hoc

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Ad hoc is a Latin phrase which means for this [purpose]. It generally signifies a solution that has been tailored to a specific purpose, such as a tailor-made suit, a handcrafted network protocol, and specific-purpose equation and the like.

Table of contents

1 Ad hoc computer network

2 Ad hoc committee

3 Ad hoc hypothesis

4 Ad hoc handicraft

Ad hoc computer network

In computer networking, ad-hoc is a connection method for wireless LANs that requires no base station — devices discover others within range to form a network for those computers. Devices may search for target nodes that are out of range by flooding the network with broadcasts that are forwarded by each node. Connections are possible over multiple nodes (multihop ad-hoc network). Routing protocols then provide stable connections even if nodes are moving around randomly.

See IEEE 802.11. The alternative is infrastructure, with a base station that manages the network for its range.

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.

Ad hoc hypothesis

In philosophy and science, ad hoc often means the addition of corrollary 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. See Skeptic's Dictionary: Ad hoc hypothesis (http://skepdic.com/adhoc.html).

Ad hoc handicraft

Taking action by any means possible or finding a way by hook or by crook for a specialized purpose. As an example, the recyclers in Africa of the System D who turn everyday French objects that most people would throw away into creative items and are able to make a profit from them .

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