Interface depinning in random media: a physicist's approach

In this talk I introduce and 'solve' a minimal model for the depinning of a driven interface in random media. It is shown by qualitative methods and a functional renormalization group calculation that the interface close to the depinning threshold is self affine and characterized by a number of critical exponents which obey scaling relations.

The extension of these consideration to interfaces driven by an oscillating force is briefly discussed.