Universal regularizations. I. Prescriptions and single-loop approximation

Rules are formulated for a “universal” ultraviolet regularization (different from dimensional) designed to preserve internal syrmnetries in nonanomalous situations. The regularization reduces to the integration (with a certain weight) of Feynman diagrams over specially introduced “soft masses” (which appear as a result of “extending” the loop momenta). Single-loop examples for Abelian and non-Abelian gauge theories are considered. It is shown that the “universal” regularization is indeed consistent with the corresponding symmetries. The occurrence of the actual anomaly is discussed in terms of the “universal” regularization.