Rare decays: theory vs. experiments

Abstract

We present an overview of rare K, D and B decays. Particular attention is devoted to those flavour-changing neutral-current processes of K and B mesons that offer the possibility of new significant tests of the Standard Model. The sensitivity of these modes to physics beyond the Standard Model and the status of their experimental study are also discussed.

Comments: 20 pages, 9 figures, invited talk at 20th International Symposium on Lepton and Photon Interactions at High Energies, Rome, August 2001; v2 & v3: minor modifications, few references added