"Version: 20170601"--Title page verso.Includes bibliographical references (pages 20-22).1. Introduction -- 2. Background -- 2.1. Optical lattices -- 2.2. Theory of atoms in optical lattices -- 2.3. Preparing ultracold atoms in optical lattices -- 3. Current directions -- 3.1. Simulating conductor-to-insulator transitions with transport experiments -- 3.2. Momentum distributions and many-body lo…