Galaxy formation
  Galaxy formation is at the forefront of observation and theory in cosmology.
An improved understanding is essential for improving our knowledge both of the
cosmological parameters, of the contents of the universe, and of our origins.
In these lectures intended for graduate students, galaxy formation theory is
reviewed and confronted with recent observational issues. In Lecture 1, the
following topics are presented: star formation considerations, including IMF,
star formation efficiency and star formation rate, the origin of the galaxy
luminosity function, and feedback in dwarf galaxies. In Lecture 2, we describe
formation of disks and massive spheroids, including the growth of supermassive
black holes, negative feedback in spheroids, the AGN-star formation connection,
star formation rates at high redshift and the baryon fraction in galaxies.
