Almost fifteen years ago, because of the phenomenal growth in the power of computer simulations, The University of Georgia formed the first institu tional unit devoted to the use of simulations in research and teaching: The Center for Simulational Physics. As the international simulations community expanded further, we sensed a need for a meeting place for both experi enced simulators and neophytes to discuss new techniques and recent results in an environment which promoted extended discussion. As a consequence, the Center for Simulational Physics established an annual workshop on Re cent Developments in Computer Simulation Studies in Condensed Matter Physics. This year's workshop was the thirteenth in this series, and the con tinued interest shown by the scientific community demonstrates quite clearly the useful purpose that these meetings have served. The latest workshop was held at The University of Georgia, February 21-25, 2000, and these proceed ings provide a "status report" on a number of important topics. This volume is published with the goal of timely dissemination of the material to a wider audience. We wish to offer a special thanks to the IBM Corporation for its generous support of this year's workshop. We also acknowledge the Donors of the Petroleum Research Fund, administered by the American Chemical Society, and the National Science Foundation for partial support. This volume contains both invited papers and contributed presentations on problems in both classical and quantum condensed matter physics."

More than a decade ago, because of the phenomenal growth in the power of computer simulations, The University of Georgia formed the first institutional unit devoted to the use of simulations in research and teaching: The Center for Simulational Physics. As the simulations community expanded further, we sensed a need for a meeting place for both experienced simulators and neophytes to discuss new techniques and recent results in an environment which promoted extended discussion. As a consequence, the Center for Sim ulational Physics established an annual workshop on Recent Developments in Computer Simulation Studies in Condensed Matter Physics. This year's workshop was the twelfth in this series. It was held at The University of Geor gia, March 8-12, 1999 as an unofficial satellite conference to the Centennial Meeting of the American Physical Society in Atlanta, GA. The continued interest shown by the scientific community demonstrates quite clearly the useful purpose which the series has served. These proceedings provide a "sta tus report" on a number of important topics. This volume is published with the goal of timely dissemination of the material to a wider audience. We wish to offer special thanks to IBM Corporation for their generous support of this year's workshop. This volume contains both invited papers and contributed presentations on problems in both classical and quantum condensed matter physics. We hope that each reader will benefit from specialized results as well as profit from exposure to new algorithms, methods of analysis, and conceptual devel opments."

Over the last 30 years, Professor David P. Landau's trailblazing research achievements and influential leadership have helped establish computer sim ulation as a powerful and incisive mode of scientific investigation, now on a par in the physical sciences with experimental and theoretical research. This year, we were very pleased to organize a special one-day symposium honor ing the 60th birthday of our distinguished colleague and friend. This event was held in conjunction with and immediately following the annual computer simulations workshop that Professor Landau founded 14 years ago. Many of the papers presented at this honorary symposium are integrated into this pro ceedings volume, and the accompanying photograph of participants serves to commemorate this very special event. This volume contains both invited papers and contributed presentations on problems in both classical and quantum condensed matter physics. We hope that each reader will benefit from specialized results as well as profit from exposure to new algorithms, methods of analysis, and conceptual devel opments."