The photon structure from deep inelastic electron-photon scattering

The present knowledge of the structure of the photon is presented with emphasis on measurements of the photon structure obtained from deep inelastic electron-photon scattering at e(+)e(-) colliders. This review covers the leptonic and hadronic structure of quasi-real and also of highly virtual photons, based on measurements of structure functions and differential cross-sections. Future prospects of the investigation of the photon structure in view of the ongoing LEP? programme and of a possible linear collider are addressed. The most relevant results in the context of measurements of the photon structure from photon-photon scattering at LEP and from photon-proton and electron-proton scattering at HERA are summarised. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.