Galactic chemical evolution

Stars and gas in galaxies exhibit diverse chemical element abundance patterns that are shaped by their environment and formation histories. Many generations of stars forming, synthesizing new elements, and releasing their nuclear debris when they evolve and die, are largely responsible for the abundance of the elements throughout the cosmos. By investigating Galactic Chemical Evolution (GCE), one hopes to trace the distribution of the elements from the present-day back to the early universe and in doing so, gain insight into the lives of galaxies. This review approaches the field of GCE from a theoretical perspective, describing the design, results and future prospects for models tracing the production and distribution of the elements within galaxies.