Lattice QCD at non-zero temperature and density

TL;DR

This paper reviews 42 years of lattice QCD research on the thermodynamics and phase diagram of strong-interaction matter at non-zero temperature and density, highlighting key results and developments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the progress and findings in lattice QCD studies of QCD thermodynamics over four decades.

Findings

Insights into the QCD phase diagram

Results on the thermodynamics of strong-interaction matter

Progress in non-perturbative QCD calculations

Abstract

Soon after the formulation of Quantum Chromodynamics in 1972 its regularization on Euclidean space-time lattices had been introduced by Kenneth Wilson. This paved ground for numerical studies of non-perturbative aspects of QCD, first shown by Michael Creutz. Ever since these first lattice QCD calculations the exploration of the QCD phase diagram and the thermodynamics of strong-interaction matter at non-zero temperature and density was pursued vigorously. In this brief review I try to highlight some of the results on QCD thermodynamics obtain during the last 42 years through lattice QCD calculations.