  Of the light nuclides observed in the universe today, D, 3He, 4He, and 7Li
are relics from its early evolution. The primordial abundances of these relics,
produced via Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) during the first half hour of the
evolution of the universe provide a unique window on Physics and Cosmology at
redshifts of order 10^10. Comparing the BBN-predicted abundances with those
inferred from observational data tests the consistency of the standard model of
cosmology over ten orders of magnitude in redshift, constrains the baryon and
other particle content of the universe, and probes both Cosmology and Physics
beyond their current standard models. These lectures are intended to introduce
students, both of theory and observation, to those aspects of the evolution of
the universe relevant to the production and evolution of the light nuclides
from the Big Bang to the present. The current observational data is reviewed
and compared with the BBN predictions and the implications for cosmology (e.g.,
universal baryon density) and particle physics (e.g., relativistic energy
density) are discussed. While this comparison reveals the stunning success of
the standard model(s), there are currently some challenges which leave open the
door for more theoretical and observational work with potential implications
for astronomy, cosmology, and particle physics.
