On a new application of the path integrals in polymer statistical physics

Abstract

We propose a new approach based on the path integral formalism to the calculation of the probability distribution functions of quadratic quantities of the Gaussian polymer chain in d-dimensional space, such as the radius of gyration and potential energy in the parabolic well. In both cases we obtain the exact relations for the characteristic function and cumulants. Using the standard steepest-descent method, we evaluate the probability distribution functions in two limiting cases of the large and small values of corresponding variables.