Abstract
This article presents a generalization of some recent work by Bixon on the theoretical foundations of the Rouse‐Zimm model in polymer solutiondynamics. In particular, a procedure is described for constructing the ``best possible'' Rouse‐Zimm model for an arbitrary polymer, starting from the equilibrium distribution of polymerconformations and using either Kirkwood's generalized diffusiondynamics or stochastic dynamics. The method is based on an application of linear response theory to the calculation of certain time correlation functions for polymerdynamics.