CONFORMATIONAL ENTROPY OF COMPACT POLYMERS

Exact results for the scaling properties of compact polymers on the sq uare lattice are obtained from an effective field theory. The entropic exponent gamma = 117/112 is calculated, and a line of fixed points as sociated with interacting chains is identified; along this line gamma varies continuously. Theoretical results are checked against detailed numerical transfer matrix calculations, which also yield a precise est imate for the connective constant kappa = 1.47280(1).