Basics of Bose-Einstein Condensation

The review is devoted to the elucidation of the basic problems arising in the theoretical investigation of systems with Bose-Einstein condensate. Understanding these challenging problems is necessary for the correct description of Bose-condensed systems. The principal problems considered in the review are as follows: (i) What is the relation between Bose-Einstein condensation and global gauge symmetry breaking? (ii) How to resolve the Hohenberg-Martin dilemma of conserving versus gapless theories? (iii) How to describe Bose-condensed systems in strong spatially random potentials? (iv) Whether thermodynamically anomalous fluctuations in Bose systems are admissible? (v) How to create nonground-state condensates? Detailed answers to these questions are given in the review. As examples of nonequilibrium condensates, three cases are described: coherent modes, turbulent superfluids, and heterophase fluids.