The collection of articles in this volume represents the proceedings of the inau- gural Conference of the Institute of Theoretical Matter Physics at the University of Florence, Italy, June 7-13, 1990. The aim of this Institute (sponsored by the Con- sorzio Interuniversitario di Fisica della Materia, INFM) is to foster interdisciplinary approaches to theoretical problems in Solid State, Electronics and Optics. Corre- spondingly, the Conference surveyed a broad scope of modern analytic techniques in nonlinear science and their application to novel liquids, solids and optical environ- ments. The Conference was held at Centro Studi CISL, a magnificent Villa up to Florence.The major topics addressed through survey and specialized lectures, discussions and posters were: Complexity and Coherence in spin glasses, associative distribu- tive memory, low dimensional electronic materials, magnets, Josephson junction ar- rays, optics, semiconductors, convection cells, material science, high-temperature superconductivity; Physics of Quantum Devices such as nonlinear feedback oscilla- tors, macroscopic quantum tunneling, hetero structures, quantum ballistic devices, tunneling in atomic devices; Field Theory and Statistical Mechanics, especially for soliton-bearing and quantum chaotic systems. Many exciting ideas and results were presented and debated in lively fashion. Perhaps two major themes were evident throughout the workshop.

The collection of articles in this volume represents the proceedings of the inau- gural Conference of the Institute of Theoretical Matter Physics at the University of Florence, Italy, June 7-13, 1990. The aim of this Institute (sponsored by the Con- sorzio Interuniversitario di Fisica della Materia, INFM) is to foster interdisciplinary approaches to theoretical problems in Solid State, Electronics and Optics. Corre- spondingly, the Conference surveyed a broad scope of modern analytic techniques in nonlinear science and their application to novel liquids, solids and optical environ- ments. The Conference was held at Centro Studi CISL, a magnificent Villa up to Florence.The major topics addressed through survey and specialized lectures, discussions and posters were: Complexity and Coherence in spin glasses, associative distribu- tive memory, low dimensional electronic materials, magnets, Josephson junction ar- rays, optics, semiconductors, convection cells, material science, high-temperature superconductivity; Physics of Quantum Devices such as nonlinear feedback oscilla- tors, macroscopic quantum tunneling, hetero structures, quantum ballistic devices, tunneling in atomic devices; Field Theory and Statistical Mechanics, especially for soliton-bearing and quantum chaotic systems. Many exciting ideas and results were presented and debated in lively fashion. Perhaps two major themes were evident throughout the workshop.

The collection of articles in this volume represents the proceedings of the inau- gural Conference of the Institute of Theoretical Matter Physics at the University of Florence, Italy, June 7-13, 1990. The aim of this Institute (sponsored by the Con- sorzio Interuniversitario di Fisica della Materia, INFM) is to foster interdisciplinary approaches to theoretical problems in Solid State, Electronics and Optics. Corre- spondingly, the Conference surveyed a broad scope of modern analytic techniques in nonlinear science and their application to novel liquids, solids and optical environ- ments. The Conference was held at Centro Studi CISL, a magnificent Villa up to Florence.The major topics addressed through survey and specialized lectures, discussions and posters were: Complexity and Coherence in spin glasses, associative distribu- tive memory, low dimensional electronic materials, magnets, Josephson junction ar- rays, optics, semiconductors, convection cells, material science, high-temperature superconductivity; Physics of Quantum Devices such as nonlinear feedback oscilla- tors, macroscopic quantum tunneling, hetero structures, quantum ballistic devices, tunneling in atomic devices; Field Theory and Statistical Mechanics, especially for soliton-bearing and quantum chaotic systems. Many exciting ideas and results were presented and debated in lively fashion. Perhaps two major themes were evident throughout the workshop.