The goal of the Minimal Model Program (MMP) is to provide a framework in which the classification of varieties or foliations can take place. The basic strategy is to use surgery operations to decompose a variety or foliation into "building block” type objects (Fano, Calabi-Yau, or canonically polarized objects).

We first review the basic notions of the MMP in the case of varieties. We then explain work on realizing the MMP for foliations on threefolds (both in the case of codimension =1 and dimension =1 foliations). We explain and pay special attention to results such as the Cone and Contraction theorem, the Flip theorem and a version of the Basepoint free theorem.[-]

The goal of the Minimal Model Program (MMP) is to provide a framework in which the classification of varieties or foliations can take place. The basic strategy is to use surgery operations to decompose a variety or foliation into "building block” type objects (Fano, Calabi-Yau, or canonically polarized objects).

We first review the basic notions of the MMP in the case of varieties. We then explain work on realizing the MMP for foliations on threefolds (both in the case of codimension =1 and dimension =1 foliations). We explain and pay special attention to results such as the Cone and Contraction theorem, the Flip theorem and a version of the Basepoint free theorem.[-]