Quarks, gluons and lattices

Lattice gauge theory provides a mathematical formalism for first principles calculations of the interactions of quarks and gluons, the basic constituents of particles feeling the nuclear force. In this approach the paths of quarks through space-time are approximated by discrete hops on a lattice. The lattice itself is a mathematical trick, and at the end of the calculation the underlying spacing is extrapolated to zero. However, with the lattice in place the system can be studied via computer simulations. In this talk I review the history that drove particle theorists to this technique and become major supercomputer users. (author)