On the asymptotic equivalence between the Enskog and the Boltzmann equations

An asymptotic equivalence theorem is proven between the solutions of the initial value problem in all space for the Boltzmann and Enskog equations for initial data which assure global existence for the solutions to the initial value problem for one of the two equations. The proof is given starting from the solution of the Boltzmann equation, then the proof line is simply indicated when one starts from the Enskog equation. The proof holds for Knudsen numbers of the order of unity and equivalence is proven when the scale of the dimensions of the gas particles characterizing the Enskog equation tends to zero.On leave from Department of Mathematics, University of Warsaw, Poland.