nLab what to contribute

This page is supposed to give some idea about which kind of contributions to the nLab are appropriate or desired.

• small contributions: While it is certainly possible that any entry could eventually grow into a comprehensive discussion, everything needs to start small. If you feel like creating an entry but only have a single sentence to say or a single reference to record for the moment, please do so! One also speaks of stub entries for such entries that are waiting to be expanded into something more substantial. Their existence can be very helpful to the general process of creating a good wiki. Just be sure to announce the creation of the entry on the nForum.

• large contributions: There is no lack of virtual room. If you feel you need to add a lot of material to do your topic justice, that’s fine. We have entries that are the size of lengthy research articles. However, if a single entry grows too large, it can be useful to start breaking it up into a series of separate entries, all linked to each other. One can use “floating tables of contents” to collect groups of entries into “topic clusters”. Eventually at HowTo there should be some information on how to do this.

• standard material: While the $n$Lab is meant to eventually push in a certain direction (“nPOV”) the scope of this direction is vast and developing it requires background in all possible subjects. So all standard material in mathematics and physics is suitable and welcome for inclusion in to the $n$Lab. Your contribution need not have any visible relation to higher algebra, homotopy theory, type theory, category theory, or higher category theory at all! But after you announce it on the nForum it might be that others join in and point out such a relation.

• original research: The $n$Lab is expressly meant to be a tool for researchers to make notes they find relevant for their work. This means that if you have an original insight and feel like recording it in context, you are welcome to do so on the $n$Lab. Just follow common good scientific practice: clearly indicate for every non-evident statement that you add where it comes from and what the available proof is (if one is available, that is; conjectures are welcome too). And be prepared to have your contributions discussed on the nForum.

• expositional as well as specialized technical material

  The $n$Lab differs from other wikis out there by containing a considerable amount of technical material and abstract mathematics. This does not mean, however, that expositions and friendly pedagogical lead-ins are discouraged. On the contrary! As far as they seem to be lacking, this is only because nobody has yet found the time to add them.

In general: if some topic that seems to be worthwhile is missing from the $n$Lab (and a lot is) this is with high probability not by intent, but by lack of manpower. Be the first to improve on the situation!

category: meta