  In this series of four lectures, I discuss four important aspects of AGN host
galaxies. In Lecture #1, I address the starburst-AGN connection. First, I
briefly review the primary diagnostic tools that are used to quantify and
distinguish star formation and nuclear activity. Next I describe the best
evidence for a connection between these two processes, first at low luminosity
and then at high luminosity. In the last section, I summarize the main results
and offer possible explanations. In Lecture #2, I discuss our current
understanding of ultraluminous infrared galaxies. First, I describe the general
properties of ULIRGs, comparing the local sample with their distant
counterparts. Then I discuss the role of ULIRGs in the formation and evolution
of spheroids and their massive black holes. The discussion of their possible
role in the metal enrichment of the IGM through superwinds is postponed until
Lecture #3. In this third lecture, I discuss the importance of feedback
processes in the local and distant universe. The emphasis is on mechanical
feedback. I describe the basic physics of winds, a few classic examples of
winds in the local universe, the statistical properties of winds, near and far,
and their impact on galaxy formation and evolution. A list of potential thesis
projects is given at the end. The fourth and final lecture is on elemental
abundances as tracers of star formation. First, I explain the basic principles
behind chemical evolution, and describe three simple models whose predictions
are compared with observations in the Milky Way. Next I discuss and give an
interpretation of the results of abundance determinations in local quiescent
and starburst galaxies before discussing elemental abundances in the more
distant universe.
