Black hole dynamics: A survey of black hole physics from the point of viewof perturbation theory

This article is a brief survey of the contribution of perturbative studies to our understanding of black hole physics. For natural reasons, I will not be able to discuss all details required for an exhaustive understanding of a field that has been active for the last forty years. Neither will I be a ble to cover all problem areas where perturbation theory has been applied. My aim is simply to provide the interested reader with a few pointers that can serve as useful starting points for an odyssey through the literature.