This book deals with three related areas having both fundamental and technological interest. In the first part, the objective is to provide a bird's eye view on structure in polymeric solids. This is then complemented by a chapter, directly technological in its emphasis, dealing with the influence of processing on polymeric materials. In spite of the technological interest, this leads to some of the current fundamental theory. Part II, concerned with liquid crystals, starts with a discussion of the physics of the various types of material, and concludes with a treatment of optical applications. Again, aspects of the theory are stressed though this part is basically phenomenological in character. In Part III, an account is given first of the use of chemical-bonding arguments in understanding the electronic structure of low-dimensional solids, followed by a comprehensive treatment of the influence of dimen sionality on phase transitions. A brief summary of dielectric screening in low-dimensional solids follows. Space-charge layers are then treated, including semiconductor inversion layers. Effects of limited dimensionality on superconductivity are also emphasized. Part IV concludes the volume with two specialized topics: electronic structure of biopolymers, and topological defects and disordered systems. The Editors wish to acknowledge that this book had its origins in the material presented at a course organized by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste.

Inhalt
I. Polymers.- 1. Introduction to Polymeric Structure and Polymers.- 2. Crystallinity and Kinetics of Crystallization.- 3. The Basic Crystal Unit.- 4. Other Classes of Crystallization.- 5. Hierarchical Nature of Macromolecular Structure.- 6. Influence of Processing on Polymeric Materials.- References and Bibliography for Part I.- II. Liquid Crystals.- 7. Structural Classification of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals.- 8. Nematic Liquid Crystals.- 9. Cholesteric Liquid Crystals.- 10. Smectic Liquid Crystals.- 11. Optical Applications of Liquid Crystals.- References for Part II.- III. Low-Dimentional Solids.- 12. Chemical Bonding.- 13. Phase Transitions and Dimensionality.- 14. Many-Electron Effects.- 15. Space Charge Layers.- 16. Superconductivity via Electron-Phonon and Electron-Exciton Interactions.- References for Part III.- IV. Special Topics.- 17. Biopolymer Electronic Phenomena.- 18. Topological Defects and Disordered Systems.- References for Part IV.