This is a collection of four lectures on some mathematical aspects related to the nonlinear Boltzmann equation. The following topics are dealt with: derivation of kinetic equations, qualitative analysis of the initial value problem, singular perturbation analysis towards the hydrodynamic limit and computational methods towards the solution of problems in fluid dynamics.
On the derivation of kinetic equations from maximum entropy principles, J. Polewczak; on the Cauchy problem for the Boltzmann equation, L. Arlotti and N. Bellomo; asymptotic analysis of nonlinear kinetic equations - the hydrodynamic limit, M. Lachowicz; current computational methods for the nonlinear Boltzmann equation, W. Walus.