a polymeric state. Additionally, by disallowing the fragmentation that results in a fragment smaller than the critical size we prevent this step from contributing to the free monomeric pool. As a consequence, we completely decouple the *end evaporation and addition* from the *scission and recombination* pathway, i.e., one of the pathways can be switched on or off without affecting the other. [@cohen]

Our master equation as those very much like it discussed at length in the literature are being highly non-linear equations, and have so far eluded exact analytical solution. [@tuomas_review] Hence, a standard practice in the field is not to study the full length distribution, but only the first two moments of it. [@oosawa; @cohen] These are the polymer concentration, $P$, and the polymerised monomeric mass, $M$. The dimensionality of both are in moles per liter if the rate constants are given in molar units. Of these two quantities, the latter quantity is readily measured by means of, e.g., circular dichroism or fluorescence microscopy. [@hellstrand; @kelly_cd] The number concentration of polymers can in principle be quantified by measuring the mean size of the polymers, using techniques such as static and dynamic light scattering, and calculating the ratio of the 