An ultrafilter is a truth-value assignment to the family of subsets of a set, and a method of convergence to infinity. From the first (logical) property arises its connection with two-valued logic and model theory; from the second (convergence) property arises its connection with topology and set theory. Both these descriptions of an ultrafilter are connected with compactness. The model-theoretic property finds its expression in the construction of the ultraproduct and the compactness type of theorem of Los (implying the compactness theorem of first-order logic); and the convergence property...