Do we understand the formation of clusters and galaxies? How are their properties linked to the large-scale matter distribution? How can we detect the transition between the hot intracluster medium and the presumably warm, diffuse distribution of baryons in the intergalactic medium? What specific questions can we hope to address with the online and future multi-wavelength surveys?
This Colloquium will focus on these and related questions by discussing the current observational evidence, the most recent theoretical models, and the strategies necessary to unveil the many processes which connect the formation of the large-scale structure to galaxy formation and evolution.