光变是活动星系核(AGN)的共同特征，光变规律的研究已成为人类探索活动星系核物理 的有力手段。综述了类星体样本光变的研究现状，对样本的光变比例，光变类 星体的平均光变幅，光变时间尺度、光变幅与类星体物理参量的相关情况，类星体样本 光变和其它活动星系核样本的关系进行了详细评述。并评述了样本光变的星暴模型、 微透镜模型、吸积盘模型三种理论模型。

Bian Weihao      Huang Keliang

Optical variability is a common property of AGNs, Which provides a potentially powerful tool to probe the physics of AGNs. This paper reviews the study on optical variability in QSO samples, concentrating on analyzing methods of the optical variability, the variable property of QSOs as well as the implication in accretion disk, starburst and the microlensing models.