Persistent currents and magnetization are considered for a two-dimensional
electron (or gas of electrons) coupled to various magnetic fields.
Thermodynamic formulae for the magnetization and the persistent current are
established and the ``classical'' relationship between current and
magnetization is shown to hold for systems invariant both by translation and
rotation. Applications are given, including the point vortex superposed to an
homogeneous magnetic field, the quantum Hall geometry (an electric field and an
homogeneous magnetic field) and the random magnetic impurity problem (a random
distribution of point vortices).Comment: 27 pages latex, 1 figur