Fundamentals of Dark Matter

Drawing on the experience of the author, this textbook focuses on pedagogy that guides students through the facts regarding dark matter, but also encourages questions and critical examination of what is known, through thought-provoking exercises under the heading "How about…?" in each chapter. Each chapter includes learning outcomes, discussion questions and classroom exercises.The book guides students through the first challenges in galactic astrophysics that led to the hypothesis of dark matter; the subsequent detailed studies of large-scale structure and cosmic microwave background that unequivocally identifies this component as a fundamental one; and the latest developments in our understanding of galaxy formation.The material can be used as the main textbook for a dedicated module on dark matter. It can also be adopted to support a general course on extragalactic astrophysics and cosmology.