• Motivation:
  
  The Standard Model of particle physics is one of the most successful theories in physics: a coherent, self-contained theory which describes all known elementary particles and their interactions in full agreement with experiment. The lecture begins with the basics of nonabelian gauge theories and shows how the diverse phenomena of the strong and weak interactions (confinement, asymptotic freedom, parton model; massive weak gauge bosons, Higgs mechanism) arise. Further, the role of the three generations and their mixing (CP-violation is only possible for three or more generations) and of quarks and leptons (both are required for mathematical consistency of the theory) are explained.
  
  
• Overview:
  
  
  This is one of two lectures on theoretical elementary particle physics, suitable e.g. for 2nd semester Master studies. For details see the lecture.