This book describes the basic facts, concepts and ideas of polymer physics in simple, yet scientifically accurate, terms. In both scientific and historic contexts, the book shows how the subject of polymers is fascinating, as it is behind most of the wonders of living cell machinery as well as most of the new developments in materials. No mathematics is used in the book beyond modest high school algebra, yet very sophisticated concepts are introduced and explained, ranging from scaling and reptations to protein folding and evolution. This new edition includes an extended section on polymer preparation methods, discusses knots formed by molecular filaments, and presents new and updated materials on polymer properties of proteins and their roles in biological evolution.

Table of Contents

Foreword by P-G DeGennes for the First Edition; Introduction; What Does a Polymer Molecule Look Like?; How Are Polymers Made?; What Kinds of Polymer Substances Are There?; Polymers in Nature; The Mathematics of a Simple Polymer Coil; The Physics of High Elasticity; The Problem of Excluded Volume; Coils and Globules; Dynamics of Polymeric Fluids; To Knot or Not to Knot; The Mathematics of Complicated Polymer Structures: Fractals; Polymers and the Origin of Life.