  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.
