Progress in perturbative QCD

We briefly summarize some recent theoretical developments in perturbative QCD, emphasizing new ideas which have led to widening the domain of applicability of perturbation theory. In particular, it is now possible to calculate efficiently processes with many partons; the high order behavior of perturbation theory can be at least partly understood by going beyond leading twist accuracy; factorization with more than one hard scale (such as in DIS with heavy quarks) can be made consistent with the renormalization group; and large infrared logs can be resummed beyond the renormalization group. The use of the renormalization group to resum large longitudinal scales may allow the use of perturbation theory even in the absence of a large transverse scale.Comment: 10 pages Latex; summary of the theory WG at the DIS97 workshop; typo on pag. 4 correcte

Polarized Structure Functions with Neutrino Beams

We review the potential impact of neutrino data on the determination of the spin structure of the nucleon. We show that a flavour decomposition of the parton structure of the nucleon as required by present-day precision phenomenology could only be achieved at a neutrino factory. We discuss how neutrino scattering data would allow a full resolution of the nucleon spin problem.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, plenary talk at SPIN200

Polarized Structure Functions: a Theoretical Update

We review recent developments in the theory and phenomenology of polarized structure functions. We summarize recent experimental data on the proton and deuteron structure function $g_1$, and their impact on the understanding of polarized sum rules. Specifically, we discuss how accurate measurements of the singlet and nonsinglet first moment of $g_1$ test perturbative and nonperturbative QCD, and critically examine the way these measurements are arrived at. We then discuss how the extraction of structure functions from the data can be improved by means of a theoretical analysis of their $x$ and $Q^2$ dependence, and how, conversely, experimental information on this dependence can be used to pin down the polarized parton content of the nucleon.Comment: 20 pages, plain TeX with epsf, 10 figures in compressed postscript. Table 2 updated incorporating a recent correction to the NLO anomalous dimensions of Mertig and van Neerve

Structure Functions and Parton Distributions

I review recent progress in the determination of the parton structure of the nucleon, in particular from deep-inelastic structure functions. I explain how the needs of current and future precision phenomenology, specifically at the LHC, have turned the determination of parton distributions into a quantitative problem. I describe the results and difficulties of current approaches and ideas to go beyond them.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, plenary talk at BARYONS0

Polarized Structure Functions: Theory and Phenomenology

We review the theory of polarized structure functions measured in deep-inelastic lepton-nucleon scattering, focusing on the most recent developments. We concentrate on the structure function $g_1$, emphasizing the phenomenological problems related to the extraction of the proton and neutron $g_1(x,Q^2)$ from the data, and to the determination of its moments, especially the first moment. In particular, we discuss the theoretical and experimental uncertainties due to the $Q^2$ dependence of the data, small and large $x$ extrapolations, QCD loop corrections, higher twist corrections, and, in connection to neutron experiments, nuclear effects. We also discuss the current status of the sum rules satisfied by the first moment of $g_1$ and their theoretical interpretation.Comment: 20 pages, 6 postscript figures (included), plain TeX, CERN-TH.7453/94 A few minor changes and a reference added around eqs.(3.8)-(3.12