Some applications of graph theory to the study of polymer configuration (Q1095951)

The spatial configuration of polymer molecules in an Euclidean space depends on the adjacency of their units. The configuration dependent properties of the so-called Gaussian polymer molecules of different structures can be expressed in terms of graph-theoretical categories such as the number of spanning trees, path lengths, generalized inverses and spectra of the Kirchhoff matrices of their graphs. We review here the methods and results concerning the distribution function of the square radius of gyration and its first moment, the mean square radius of gyration, for various types of polymer molecules.