Dr. Tanjona R. Rabemananjara

Precise theoretical predictions for lepton/hardon-hadron collisions at colliders such as the LHC at CERN require the accurate knowledge of Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs), which encode the quark and gluon structure of the proton. PDFs are essential ingredients in perturbative QCD calculations for both Standard Model measurements and searches for new physics. In this seminar, I will provide a pedagogical introduction to the determination of PDFs from experimental data. Specifically, I will introduce the QCD factorization framework underlying PDF determinations and discuss how experimental measurements—ranging from deep inelastic scattering (DIS) to Drell—Yan, jet, and electroweak boson production—constrain proton structure. I will outline the main components of modern global analyses, including theoretical inputs, parametrization strategies, statistical methods, and uncertainty quantification, highlighting the enormous methodological advances and their impact on precision phenomenology. Finally, I will conclude by outlining the remaining open challenges and future directions.