The measurement of the pion form factor and, more generally, of the cross
section for electron--positron annihilation into hadrons through the radiative
return has become an important task for high luminosity colliders such as the
Φ- or B-meson factories. This quantity is crucial for predictions of the
hadronic contributions to (g−2)μ​, the anomalous magnetic moment of the
muon, and to the running of the electromagnetic coupling. But the radiative
return opens also the possibility of many other physical applications. The
physics potential of this method at high luminosity meson factories is
discussed and recent results are reviewed.Comment: Talk given in italian at Incontri sulla Fisica delle Alte Energie,
Lecce, Italy, Apr 2003; 4 page