Perturbative QCD

Abstract

This is the written version of a set of lectures on perturbative QCD that were delivered to a mixed audience of young theorists and experimentalists in the course of the XXII International Meeting on Fundamental Physics. These notes are virtually a verbatim transcription of the lectures. The selection of topics is somewhat arbitrary, but two basic points are emphasized: the rationale behind QCD and how ongoing experiments, such as those taking place in LEP and HERA, contribute to our understanding of strong interactions. The lectures are thus roughly divided into three parts: foundations of QCD, determination of $\alpha_s$ and jet physics, and deep inelastic experiments.