A repository of back of the envelope calculations in theoretical physics
Scientific papers on theoretical physics are hard to understand. One reason is that the information that they rely on may be unavailable to the reader. Another is that authors save space by skipping steps in their derivation. The purpose of this wiki is to fill up these gaps, elucidate papers and make the information available to a larger audience. We do this by curating order of magnitude and back of the envelope calculations that illustrate complex physical processes. Ideally, each entry should be a self contained presentation of an idea that can be absorbed within less than an hour. If you were struggling with something you saw in a paper and managed to resolve it, this is the place to share your insight, as others may also be struggling with the same difficulty.