GENERAL FORMULATION OF THE STATISTICAL-MECHANICS OF MULTICOMPONENT POLYMER SYSTEMS

This paper summarizes different approaches to strongly interacting pol ymer systems. The first part of the paper discusses repulsive systems, i.e. polymers in a good solvent, polymer melts and blends. Correspond ing field theories are reviewed and critically revisited from differen t points of view. The second part of the paper is devoted to attractiv e systems, i.e. polymers in a poor solvent, ionomers, polyelectrolytes under certain conditions, etc. New types to field theories have to be developed as theories for repulsive polymer systems no longer lead to the appropriate physics. The technical approaches used in the paper a re field theory and path integrals. Novel possibilities for a microsco pic theoretical description of these systems are reported.