  We will present here an elementary pedagogical introduction to $CP_N$
solitons in quantum Hall systems. We begin with a brief introduction to both
$CP_N$ models and to quantum Hall (QH) physics. Then we focus on spin and
layer-spin degrees of freedom in QH systems and point out that these are in
fact $CP_N$ fields for N=1 and N=3. Excitations in these degrees of freedom
will be shown to be topologically non-trivial soliton solutions of the
corresponding $CP_N$ field equations. This is followed by a brief summary of
our own recent work in this area, done with Sankalpa Ghosh. [ Invited Plenary
Lecture at the International Conference on Geometry, Integrability and
Nonlinearity in Condensed Matter & Soft Condensed Matter Physics held at
Bansko, Bulgaria, July 15-20, 2001. ]
