This IMA Volume in Mathematics and its Applications AMORPHOUS POLYMERS AND NON-NEWTONIAN FLUIDS is in part the proceedings of a workshop which was an integral part of the 1984-85 IMA program on CONTINUUM PHYSICS AND PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS We are grateful to the Scientific Committee: Haim Brezis Constantine Dafermos Jerry Ericksen David Kinderlehrer for planning and implementing an exciting and stimulating year-long program. We espe­ cially thank the Program Organizers, Jerry Ericksen, David Kinderlehrer, Stephen Prager and Matthew Tirrell for organizing a workshop which brought together scientists and mathematicians in a variety of areas for a fruitful exchange of ideas. George R. Sell Hans Weinberger Preface Experiences with amorphous polymers have supplied much of the motivation for developing novel kinds of molecular theory, to try to deal with the more significant features of systems involving very large molecules with many degrees offreedom. Similarly, the observations of many unusual macroscopic phenomena has stimulated efforts to develop linear and nonlinear theories of viscoelasticity to describe them. In either event, we are confronted not with a well-established, specific set of equations, but with a variety of equations, conforming to a loose pattern and suggested by general kinds of reasoning. One challenge is to devise techniques for finding equations capable of delivering definite and reliable predictions. Related to this is the issue of discovering ways to better grasp the nature of solutions ofthose equations showing some promise.