A method for amplifying a target nucleic acid sequence, comprising: (a) contacting, in a reaction mixture, the target nucleic acid sequence with a first forward oligonucleotide, a second forward oligonucleotide, a first reverse oligonucleotide and a second reverse oligonucleotide under conditions wherein the forward oligonucleotides specifically anneal with the target nucleic acid sequence, wherein: the first forward oligonucleotide comprises a first bond-forming reactive moiety and the second forward oligonucleotide comprises a second bond-forming reactive moiety; the first reverse oligonucleotide comprises a third bond-forming reactive moiety and the second reverse oligonucleotide comprises a fourth bond-forming reactive moiety; (b) incubating the reaction mixture under conditions where the first forward oligonucleotide and the second forward oligonucleotide anneal to the target nucleic acid sequence such that the first reactive moiety and the second reactive moiety are juxtaposed and form a chemical bond in the absence of an enzyme to result in a first ligation product annealed to the target nucleic acid sequence; and the first reverse oligonucleotide and the second reverse oligonucleotide anneal to a complement of the target nucleic acid sequence, wherein said complement is complementary to the target nucleic acid sequence that is annealed to the first and second forward oligonucleotides, such that the third reactive moiety and the fourth reactive moiety are juxtaposed and form a chemical bond in the absence of an enzyme to result in a second ligation product annealed to said complement of the target nucleic acid sequence; (c) incubating the reaction mixture of (b) under conditions where the first and second ligation products are denatured; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c), wherein the second ligation product serves as a target nucleic acid sequence and the first ligation product serves as a complement of the target nucleic acid sequence, thereby resulting in exponential amplification. (a) contacting, in a reaction mixture, the target nucleic acid sequence with a first forward oligonucleotide, a second forward oligonucleotide, a first reverse oligonucleotide and a second reverse oligonucleotide under conditions wherein the forward oligonucleotides specifically anneal with the target nucleic acid sequence, wherein: the first forward oligonucleotide comprises a first bond-forming reactive moiety and the second forward oligonucleotide comprises a second bond-forming reactive moiety; the first reverse oligonucleotide comprises a third bond-forming reactive moiety and the second reverse oligonucleotide comprises a fourth bond-forming reactive moiety; the first forward oligonucleotide comprises a first bond-forming reactive moiety and the second forward oligonucleotide comprises a second bond-forming reactive moiety; the first reverse oligonucleotide comprises a third bond-forming reactive moiety and the second reverse oligonucleotide comprises a fourth bond-forming reactive moiety; (b) incubating the reaction mixture under conditions where the first forward oligonucleotide and the second forward oligonucleotide anneal to the target nucleic acid sequence such that the first reactive moiety and the second reactive moiety are juxtaposed and form a chemical bond in the absence of an enzyme to result in a first ligation product annealed to the target nucleic acid sequence; and the first reverse oligonucleotide and the second reverse oligonucleotide anneal to a complement of the target nucleic acid sequence, wherein said complement is complementary to the target nucleic acid sequence that is annealed to the first and second forward oligonucleotides, such that the third reactive moiety and the fourth reactive moiety are juxtaposed and form a chemical bond in the absence of an enzyme to result in a second ligation product annealed to said complement of the target nucleic acid sequence; (c) incubating the reaction mixture of (b) under conditions where the first and second ligation products are denatured; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c), wherein the second ligation product serves as a target nucleic acid sequence and the first ligation product serves as a complement of the target nucleic acid sequence, thereby resulting in exponential amplification.