HPLC, or high-performance liquid chromatography, is a technique used to separate, identify, and quantify components in a mixture. It works by distributing the components between a stationary and mobile liquid phase. HPLC is used to analyze hemoglobin variants by separating them based on their affinity for the stationary phase and eluting them at different retention times. The document discusses the principles, applications, interpretation of results, and common hemoglobin variants seen on HPLC such as HbS, HbC, HbE, and others.