I have a feeling most people don't even know this Skill Points term, but it is part of the way the science formulas are described in the wiki.

Science Bonus = Race Mod * Personality Mod * Min(Science Multiplier * Skill points , Science Cap)

Skill points = Number of Novices + 1.5 * Number of Graduates + 2 * Number of Professors
Is this just the way someone writing the wiki chose to describe it, or are these Skill Points (SP) actually what the science system is based on.

For example most people refer to the number of "Professors to Cap" each category, but this number differs from the actual SP requirement to hit the cap in some areas;

Alchemy - 30 Profs / 60 SP - Actual Cap 60 SP
Tools - 30 Profs / 60 SP - Actual Cap 60 SP
Housing - 38 Profs / 76 SP - Actual Cap 75 SP (37 Profs and 1 Nov)
Production - 30 Profs / 60 SP - Actual Cap 60 SP
Military - 38 Profs / 76 SP - Actual Cap 75 SP (37 Profs and 1 Nov)
Crime - 31 Profs / 62 SP - Actual Cap 60.6 SP (impossible to have exactly this amount of science, which I find disturbing :P)
Channeling - 32 Profs / 64 SP - Actual Cap 62.5 SP (30 Profs, 1 Grad, 1 Nov)

If I were looking into the diminishing gains on science, is this Skill Point system the place to start?