Edge sequences, ribbon tableaux, and an action of affine permutations

An overview is provided of some of the basic facts concerning rim hook lattices and ribbon tableaux, using a representation of partitions by their edge sequences. An action is defined of the affine Coxeter group of type $tilde A_{r-1$ on the $r$-rim hook lattice, and thereby on the sets of standard and semistandard ribbon tableaux, and this action is related to the concept of chains in $r$-ribbon tableaux.