Diophantine geometry over groups and the elementary theory of free and hyperbolic groups

We study sets of solutions to equations over a free group, projections of such sets, and the structure of elementary sets defined over a free group. The structre theory we obtain enable us to answer some questions of A. Tarski’s, and classify those finitely generated groups that are elementary equivalent to a free group. Connections with low dimensional topology, and a generalization to (Gromov) hyperbolic groups will also be discussed.