Syllabus
o Universality and scaling in polymer theory. Renormalization. o Diffusion theory (stochastic process, path integral, Langevin, Fokker?Planck and Smoluchowski equation). o Isolated Gaussian chain ? transition from discrete to continuous description. o Isolated non-ideal chain (stiffness, excluded volume). o Interaction of chain with solvent (Rouse and Zimm models). o Model of copolymer ? calculation of partition function, phase transitions. o Microscopic base of elasticity. o Phase transitions ? microscopic theory in biopolymers. o Kinetics of polymer networks growth.
Differential equations and Monte Carlo simulations. o Statistical description of polymer network structure ? theory of branching processes.
Annotation
Inter alii, it includes the following chapters: universality and scaling, description of polymer chains, conformational statistics, path integrals in polymer physics, calculation of partition function, statistics of real chains, Flory theory, Brownian motion, Langevin equation, dynamics of flexible chains in solutions, Rouse and Zimm model, hydrodynamic interactions, phase transitions in polymer systems, coagulation phenomena, Monte Carlo algorithms in polymer physics.