Topological Concepts in Gauge Theories

In these lecture notes, an introduction to topological concepts and methods in studies of gauge field theories is presented. The three paradigms of topological objects, the Nielsen-Olesen vortex of the abelian Higgs model, the 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole of the non-abelian Higgs model and the instanton of Yang-Mills theory, are discussed. The common formal elements in their construction are emphasized and their different dynamical roles are exposed. The discussion of applications of topological methods to Quantum Chromodynamics focuses on confinement. An account is given of various attempts to relate this phenomenon to topological properties of Yang-Mills theory. The lecture notes also include an introduction to the underlying concept of homotopy with applications from various areas of physics.