Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 May 2016
Asymptotic giant branch stars are essential contributors to the near and mid-IR emission of intermediate age (108-109 yr old) stellar populations. Detecting this light will set constraints on the star formation history in galaxies and, conversely, the search for AGB signatures in well studied populations will help us reduce some of the still large uncertainties in AGB models. This paper reviews how AGB stars are currently included in population synthesis models and which spectral features can be used to identify their emission in galaxy light; targets for observational tests are suggested, and some observational and theoretical difficulties are discussed.