This talk will survey some of the interesting inequalities that arise from the interplay between geometry, analysis, and mathematical physics. Discussions of the classical isoperimetric inequality (given a length of string, how do you arrange it to enclose the most area?) and the eigenvalue problem for a symmetric matrix will set the stage. The main focus of the talk will be on the eigenvalues of various differential operators, especially the Laplacian including its one-dimensional specialization, -d^2/dx^2. In physical terms, the eigenvalues of these differential operators give the natural frequencies of vibrating strings and drums. The analog of the classical isoperimetric inequality for the Laplacian is called the Faber-Krahn inequality, which states that among all drums of a given area the one producing the lowest bass note is the circular one (all other physical parameters held fixed). By analogy, we call such an analytic inequality an {it isoperimetric inequality}. Such results, when the optimizing case is a disk or ball, are usually proved via symmetrization (rearrangement) techniques, which we will sketch. Beyond that there are many interesting general inequalities for eigenvalues, several of which can be proved by elementary means. We look at a few of these inequalities, such as inequalities relating the Dirichlet and Neumann eigenvalues of the Laplacian and also the {it universal eigenvalue inequalities} of Payne, P'olya, and Weinberger (PPW) and their successors, which are inequalities between the eigenvalues of the Dirichlet Laplacian and give control over their rate of growth.