Finite temperature QCD: progress and outstanding problems

Abstract

I review recent progress in numerical simulations of finite temperature quantum chromodynamics and discuss the status of some outstanding problems. Included is (1) a discussion of recent results determining the temperature of the ``phase transition'' in full QCD, (2) a scaling analysis of the Polyakov loop variable, leading to the determination of a constituent quark free energy, (3) studies of critical behavior near the phase transition in two-flavor QCD, (4) a discussion of problems and new results in thermodynamic simulations with Wilson fermions, (5) recent results in pure gauge theory with a mixed fundamental/adjoint action, and (6) the nonperturbative determination of the equation of state with dynamical fermions included. Finally I mention briefly new developments in efforts to construct a phenomenology of deconfinement and chiral symmetry restoration, namely (7) the dual superconducting model and (8) the instanton model.