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1. • CommentRowNumber1.
   • CommentAuthorBlake Stacey
   • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
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   Author: Blake Stacey
   Format: HtmlPer the suggestion of John Baez, I took a conversation we had on Google+ and made an nLab entry out of it: <a href="http://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/universality">universality</a>.

   Per the suggestion of John Baez, I took a conversation we had on Google+ and made an nLab entry out of it: universality.
2. • CommentRowNumber2.
   • CommentAuthorUrs
   • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
   • (edited Aug 30th 2011)
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   Author: Urs
   Format: MarkdownItexThanks! I have added * a table of contents (so that I can see at a glance what the entry contains); * a mentioning of the word "physics" right at the beginning (to make clear that this is what the entry is about) * a disambiguation line on the very top (there is also universality in mathematics, which is rather different). Why "term of the art"? Is that just a phrase?

   Thanks! I have added

   • a table of contents (so that I can see at a glance what the entry contains);

   • a mentioning of the word “physics” right at the beginning (to make clear that this is what the entry is about)

   • a disambiguation line on the very top (there is also universality in mathematics, which is rather different).

   Why “term of the art”? Is that just a phrase?

3. • CommentRowNumber3.
   • CommentAuthorUrs
   • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
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   Author: Urs
   Format: MarkdownItexI have added a few more links, also in the tables. But one could add many more. (Notice, by the way, that usually we have plural versions of entry titles as redirects. So usually you can just put the plural alone in double square brackets.)

   I have added a few more links, also in the tables. But one could add many more.

   (Notice, by the way, that usually we have plural versions of entry titles as redirects. So usually you can just put the plural alone in double square brackets.)

4. • CommentRowNumber4.
   • CommentAuthorBlake Stacey
   • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
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   Author: Blake Stacey
   Format: HtmlThanks for the additions! "Term of the art" is just a way of saying "jargon term"; I think I've mostly seen it used in legal contexts. <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/term_of_art">Wiktionary</a> defines it as "A term whose use or meaning is specific to a particular field of endeavor".

   Thanks for the additions!
   
   "Term of the art" is just a way of saying "jargon term"; I think I've mostly seen it used in legal contexts. Wiktionary defines it as "A term whose use or meaning is specific to a particular field of endeavor".
5. • CommentRowNumber5.
   • CommentAuthorzskoda
   • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
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   Author: zskoda
   Format: MarkdownItexThe idea sections should be understandable and local metaphors like "term of art" confuse me as well, and probably many other readers. I suggest that the entry be renamed to [[universality class]]. Then we can have a separate entry [[universality]] which will be a disambiguation entry.

   The idea sections should be understandable and local metaphors like “term of art” confuse me as well, and probably many other readers. I suggest that the entry be renamed to universality class. Then we can have a separate entry universality which will be a disambiguation entry.

6. • CommentRowNumber6.
   • CommentAuthorzskoda
   • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
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   Author: zskoda
   Format: MarkdownItexI have separated it. Now we have * [[universal class]] (physics) * [[universality]] (disaimbuation page) * [[universal construction]] redirecting also [[universal property]] * [[universal arrow]] is a redirect of [[adjoint functor]], because there is a section "in terms of universal arrows" (it would be good to have a separate entry for [[universal arrow]], or to explain it at [[universal construction]]) * [[universal colimit]]

   I have separated it. Now we have

   • universal class (physics)
   • universality (disaimbuation page)
   • universal construction redirecting also universal property
   • universal arrow is a redirect of adjoint functor, because there is a section “in terms of universal arrows” (it would be good to have a separate entry for universal arrow, or to explain it at universal construction)
   • universal colimit
7. • CommentRowNumber7.
   • CommentAuthorMike Shulman
   • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
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   Author: Mike Shulman
   Format: MarkdownItexI've never heard the phrase "term of art" outside of law, nor have I ever heard it with a "the".

   I’ve never heard the phrase “term of art” outside of law, nor have I ever heard it with a “the”.

8. • CommentRowNumber8.
   • CommentAuthorUrs
   • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
   • (edited Aug 30th 2011)
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   Author: Urs
   Format: MarkdownItexWhat I find strange about the mentioning of either "jargon" or "term of art" -- or any other jargon for _jargon_ ;-) -- is that it is hard to see how "universality" is more jargon than, say, "category" or "Lie algebra" or so. I'd just say "universality is the term used for ...".

   What I find strange about the mentioning of either “jargon” or “term of art” – or any other jargon for jargon ;-) – is that it is hard to see how “universality” is more jargon than, say, “category” or “Lie algebra” or so. I’d just say “universality is the term used for …”.

9. • CommentRowNumber9.
   • CommentAuthorzskoda
   • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
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   Author: zskoda
   Format: MarkdownItexUrs: I wanted to do the same, but did not want to interfere with phrasing part, we are writing for technical people, hence, in non-extreme cases we do not need to emphasise that our terminology is technical.

   Urs: I wanted to do the same, but did not want to interfere with phrasing part, we are writing for technical people, hence, in non-extreme cases we do not need to emphasise that our terminology is technical.

10. • CommentRowNumber10.
    • CommentAuthorBlake Stacey
    • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
    • (edited Aug 30th 2011)
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    Author: Blake Stacey
    Format: HtmlFirst sentence of <a href="http://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/universality+class">universality class</a> now edited to reflect this discussion.

    First sentence of universality class now edited to reflect this discussion.
11. • CommentRowNumber11.
    • CommentAuthorUrs
    • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
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    Author: Urs
    Format: MarkdownItexHi Blake, thanks. Sorry for this, it's a pretty unimportant point that we kept complaining about. Thanks for the entry. I'll add a link to [[universality class]] now to the main physics-toc. It's an important concept.

    Hi Blake,

    thanks. Sorry for this, it’s a pretty unimportant point that we kept complaining about. Thanks for the entry. I’ll add a link to universality class now to the main physics-toc. It’s an important concept.

12. • CommentRowNumber12.
    • CommentAuthorBlake Stacey
    • CommentTimeAug 30th 2011
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    Author: Blake Stacey
    Format: HtmlI don't mind at all! Over the past year, I've gotten used to writing stuff for people who are not, for the most part, physicists and mathematicians, so I've acquired the habit of indicating explicitly when a jargon word which also has a non-jargon, everyday meaning is being used in a jargony way. (For example, "These form a group, in the technical sense...") I don't think that's really necessary for the nLab, though!

    I don't mind at all!
    
    Over the past year, I've gotten used to writing stuff for people who are not, for the most part, physicists and mathematicians, so I've acquired the habit of indicating explicitly when a jargon word which also has a non-jargon, everyday meaning is being used in a jargony way. (For example, "These form a group, in the technical sense...") I don't think that's really necessary for the nLab, though!
13. • CommentRowNumber13.
    • CommentAuthorBlake Stacey
    • CommentTimeSep 3rd 2011
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    Author: Blake Stacey
    Format: HtmlFilling in the question-mark links: <a href="http://ncatlab.org/nlab/show/c-theorem">c-theorem</a>. This is basically a wikified paraphrase of the original paper, as I don't understand RG and CFT nearly as well as I should.

    Filling in the question-mark links: c-theorem. This is basically a wikified paraphrase of the original paper, as I don't understand RG and CFT nearly as well as I should.