PhysicsLibrary New User Guide

Getting started

PhysicsLibrary is a collaborative physics library. This guide covers contributing an encyclopedia entry.

1. Create an account and sign in before contributing.
2. Search and browse the encyclopedia before writing. Check the requests list for topics the community needs.
3. Open Add an Encyclopedia Entry, fill in the metadata, and write the content in LaTeX.
4. Preview your entry, review the rendered output and any messages, then use save changes to submit it. The Added page links to your new entry.

For an existing entry, use its discussion or correction controls to suggest improvements. Edit directly when you have permission.

When is an alternate entry justified?

An alternate entry should add something substantially different: a different derivation or proof, a useful physical interpretation, an approach for a different audience, or a clearly distinguished convention or scope.

Do not duplicate an existing entry just to change its wording or title. If the existing entry needs a correction or a small addition, use its correction or discussion controls instead.

Make the difference clear in the title and introduction, and reference the existing entry so readers can compare the approaches. Proofs, examples, corollaries, derivations, and results must be attached to a parent entry; use the parent reference in the form.

Entry metadata

Metadata describes and connects your entry. Follow the association guidelines when filling in synonyms, defined concepts, and related entries.

Type and title

Choose the entry type that fits the content. Write the title as it would naturally occur in text. Commas separate index terms; use ,, when a comma is part of the title.

Attached to and contains own proof

Give the parent reference for an attached entry. For a theorem, mark contains own proof when the proof is included in the entry.

Fill a request

Select a request when your entry addresses it. Leave the selection at [none] otherwise.

Classification

Choose relevant categories with the PACS browser. Separate multiple codes with commas, for example 02.70.Hm, 01.30.Pp. The pacs: prefix can be omitted.

Synonyms and defines

Synonyms are other names for the main concept. Defines lists additional concepts defined in this entry. These terms participate in the encyclopedia's concept index.

Related

Use canonical entry names, not display titles: for example PascalsRule rather than Pascal's Rule.

Keywords and pronunciation

Keywords describe the subject matter for searching. Pronunciation is optional information about saying the entry title.

TeX-style international character commands can be used in the content and metadata. For example, \"o represents an o with an umlaut.

LaTeX and preview

Put new commands and nonstandard packages in the preamble, and the article text in the content editor. Keep your article readable with a clear introduction, definitions of symbols, assumptions, derivations or examples where appropriate, and references.

Use preview before saving. Check equations, links, classification, tables, and figures. Address errors and review warnings. Preview does not publish the entry; save changes submits it.

The documentation center has further formatting examples and links to collaborative style guides.

Files and figures

Use the Filebox Manager in the entry form to upload figures and other supporting files. Multiple files can be selected together. The filebox can also fetch files from URLs entered one per line.

Use the uploaded filename in your LaTeX. For diagrams, also upload their editable source files. Review the file list after uploading or removing files, and preview again to check that figures render as expected.

Uploading a file does not finish the article submission; continue with preview and save changes.

Sources, MathWorld, and reuse

Cite the sources behind definitions, results, and explanations. When drawing on a source such as MathWorld, check its reuse terms before bringing text or figures into an entry. Being available to read online does not by itself make material freely reusable.

Review the PhysicsLibrary license page and the CC BY-SA 4.0 terms. If you are unsure about reuse permission, write an original explanation and reference the source instead of copying it.