Random walks in polymer physics -- Random walks in field theory -- Polymer expansion in particle physics -- Polymers, spin models and field theory -- Reaction-diffusion mechanisms and quantum spin systems -- Bosonization in particle physics -- Hadronization in particle physics -- The hybrid monte carlo algorithm for quantum chromodynamics -- The hybrid monte carlo method for polymer chains -- Simulations of toy proteins -- Two lectures on phase mixing: Nucleation and symmetry restoration -- Neural networks and confidence limit estimates -- The gross-neveu model and QCDs chiral phase transition -- The TBA, the gross-neveu model, and polyacetylene -- Solitons in polyacetylene.

The book is written for advanced graduate students. The topics have been selected to present methods and models that have applications in both particle physics and polymer physics. The lectures may serve as a guide through more recent research activities and illustrate the applicability of joint methods in different contexts. The book deals with analytic tools (e.g. random walk models, polymer expansion), numerical tools (e.g. Langevin dynamics), and common models (the three-dimensional Gross-Neveu-Model).