Polymers as Self-Avoiding Walks

A brief overview is presented of the relation of the properties of real polymers to the problem of self-avoiding random walks. The self-consistent field method is discussed wherein the non-Markovian continuous self-avoiding polymer is replaced by a self-consistent Markovian approximation. An outline is presented of the method of solution of the resultant nonlinear integrodifferential equations. A description is also presented of the scaling theories which provide a means for deducing some exponents in the asymptotic dependence of walk properties on the length of the walk in the limit of infinite length walks.