Phase Transition of a Molecular Zipper

Two systems of biomolecules in solution are known to be represented by simple models which can be solved to give phase transitions in one dimension. The systems are double-stranded DNA and the helical polypeptides. We treat the very simple problem of the single-ended zipper. There is an interesting simialrity with the work of Nagle on the one-dimensional analog of the Slater model of KDP.