Lattice QCD at non-zero temperature and density

Abstract

Soon after the formulation of Quantum Chromodynamics in 1972 its regularization on Euclidean space-time lattices had been introduced by Kenneth Wilson. This paved ground for numerical studies of non-perturbative aspects of QCD, first shown by Michael Creutz. Ever since these first lattice QCD calculations the exploration of the QCD phase diagram and the thermodynamics of strong-interaction matter at non-zero temperature and density was pursued vigorously. In this brief review I try to highlight some of the results on QCD thermodynamics obtain during the last 42 years through lattice QCD calculations.