Use of rotation operators in the general description of polymer properties

In this paper we are concerned with the formulation of a general mathematical scheme which may be used to describe many polymer properties of interest. The responses of polymers to the following experimental techniques have been analysed: infrared absorption, x-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance absorption, fluorescence polarization, and elasticity measurements. A principal feature of the analysis is the use of matrix elements of the three-dimensional rotation operator. This approach greatly facilitates the treatment of the various types of symmetry, both statistical and crystallographic, which are often an inherent feature of polymer structure. It is clearly demonstrated how measurements from different experiments can complement each other and lead to a more complete description of the polymer.