Lectures on random polymers

These lecture notes are a guided tour through the fascinating world of polymer chains interacting with themselves and/or with their environment. The focus is on the mathematical description of a number of physical and chemical phenomena, with particular emphasis on phase transitions and space-time scaling. The topics covered, though only a selection, are typical for the area. Sections 1–3 describe models of polymers without disorder, Sections 4–6 models of polymers with disorder. Appendices A–E contain tutorials in which a number of key techniques are explained in more detail.