  Characteristics of the nuclear equation of state (EOS) and its importance, in
particular for astrophysics, are discussed. Selected observables in nuclear
collisions are sensitive to the EOS and can be used to constrain it. For
central collisions, these include collective flow asymmetries, subthreshold
kaon yields and isospin diffusion. Comparisons between the data and transport
theory suggest an energy per nucleon that rises relatively slowly with density
for symmetric matter and symmetry energy that rises relatively quickly around
the normal nuclear density.
