Gromov--Witten invariants and quantum cohomology

This article is an elaboration of a talk given at an international conference on Operator Theory, Quantum Probability, and Noncommutative Geometry held during December~20--23, 2004, at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. The lecture was meant for a general audience, and also prospective research students, the idea of the quantum cohomology based on the Gromov--Witten invariants. Of course there are many important aspects that are not discussed here.