The electron-positron annihilation cross section used for high precision tests of the Standard Model

Quantities like the fine structure constant at the pole of the Z boson and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon are of profound importance for testing the Standard Model of elementary particle physics. Because these quantities are known with very high precision, deviations between experimental measurements and theory predictions for these quantities open a window for so-called "new physics", i.e. physics beyond the Standard Model. In this seminar new calculation techniques for the most unreliable part of the theory predictions, the hadronic contribution, are formulated, discussed and used for a prediction of these quantities.