Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 January 2010
Blue stragglers have been found in all populations. They are important in both stellar evolution and stellar population synthesis. Much evidence shows that blue stragglers are relevant to primordial binaries. Here, we summarize the links between binary evolution and blue stragglers, describe the characteristics of blue stragglers originating from different binary evolutionary channels and show their consequences for binary population synthesis, such as for the integrated spectral-energy distribution, the colour–magnitude diagram, their specific frequency, and their influence on colours, etc.