When should I use static methods in a class and what are the benefits?

Question

I have concept of static variables but what are the benefits of static methods in a class. I have worked on some projects but I did not make a method static. Whenever I need

Answer 1

The only time you want to use a static method in a class is when a given method does not require an instance of a class to be created. This could be when trying to return a shared data source (eg a Singleton) or performing an operation that doesn't modify the internal state of the object (String.format for example).

This wikipedia entry explains static methods pretty well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_(computer_science)#Static_methods