= Ideal chain
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= Freely jointed chain
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An <ideal chain>, also called a <freely jointed chain>, consists of fixed-length links with independent orientations and no bending energy between successive links. It neglects segment interactions and excluded volume. A <one-dimensional freely jointed chain> restricts each link to two orientations. At fixed force its <canonical partition function> factors into one-link angular integrals. The resulting extension is entropic and depends on <temperature> and on whether the orientations are allowed in one, two, or three dimensions.
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