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Article Contents

ABSTRACT

1.PARAMETRIZING THE UNIVERSE

1.1.The global description of the Universe

1.2.Inflation and perturbations

1.3.The standard cosmological model

1.4.Derived parameters

2.EXTENSIONS TO THE STANDARD MODEL

2.1.More general perturbations

2.2.Dark matter properties

2.3.Relativistic species

2.4.Dark energy

2.5.Complex ionization history

2.6.Varying `constants'

2.7.Cosmic topology

3.PROBES

3.1.Direct measures of the Hubble constant

3.2.Supernovae as cosmological probes

3.3.Cosmic microwave background

3.4.Galaxy clustering

3.5.Clusters of galaxies

3.6.Clustering in the inter-galactic medium

3.7.Gravitational lensing

3.8.Peculiar velocities

4.BRINGING OBSERVATIONS TOGETHER

5.OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE

REFERENCES