Table of Contents

1. Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory 2. Asymptotic Freedom and the Renormalization Group 3. The Strong Coupling Expansion 4. Instantons in Abelian Systems 5. Quark Confinement, Superfluidity, Elasticity. Criteria and Analogies 6. Topology of Gauge Fields and Related Problems 7. Analogies Between Gauge and Chiral Fields. Loop Dynamics 8. The Large N Expansion 9. Quantum Strings and Random Surfaces 10. Attempt at a Synthesis