On status of Boltzmann kinetic theory in the framework of statistical mechanics

Abstract

It is shown that early suggested derivation of the Boltzmann kinetic equation for dilute hard sphere gas from the time-reversible BBGKY equations is incorrect since in fact a priori substitutes for them definite irreversible equations. Alternative approach to analysis of the hard sphere gas is formulated which conserves the reversibility and makes it clear that at any gas density one can reduce the BBGKY equations to the Boltzmann equation only in case of spatially uniform gas.