Polymer Models: Basic Observables

This lecture introduces basic observables and simple models in polymer science. At the microscopic scale, polymers are unique, requiring a coarse-grained approach. Properties of polymers are discussed, emphasizing the need for reproducible measurements. The lecture delves into the concept of one-dimensional polymers, explaining the importance of measuring observable quantities like end-to-end distance. The instructor illustrates the concept of reproducibility using a flexible cable analogy. The lecture progresses to discuss the simplest polymer model, representing polymers as chains of segments. The presentation explores the mathematical representation of polymer chains and the calculation of average end-to-end distances. The Fourier transform is introduced to compute the probability distribution of end-to-end distances in polymer chains.