We present a theory for the construction of renormalized kinetic equations to describe the dynamics of classical systems of particles in or out of equilibrium. A closed, self-consistent set of evolution equations is derived for the single-particle phase-space distribution function f, the correlation function C=aOE (c)delta f delta f >, the retarded and advanced density response functions chi (R,A) =delta f/delta phi to an external potential phi, and the associated memory functions I pound (R,A,C) . The basis of the theory is an effective action functional Omega of external potentials phi that contains all information about the dynamical properties of the system. In particular, its functional derivatives generate successively the single-particle phase-space density f and all the correlation and density response functions, which are coupled through an infinite hierarchy of evolution equations. Traditional renormalization techniques (involving Legendre transform and vertex functions) are then used to perform the closure of the hierarchy through memory functions. The latter satisfy functional equations that can be used to devise systematic approximations that automatically imply the conservation laws of mass, momentum and energy. The present formulation can be equally regarded as (i) a generalization to dynamical problems of the density functional theory of fluids in equilibrium and (ii) as the classical mechanical counterpart of the theory of non-equilibrium Green's functions in quantum field theory. It unifies and encompasses previous results for classical Hamiltonian systems with any initial conditions. For equilibrium states, the theory reduces to the equilibrium memory function approach used in the kinetic theory of fluids in thermal equilibrium. For non-equilibrium fluids, popular closures of the BBGKY hierarchy (e.g. Landau, Boltzmann, Lenard-Balescu-Guernsey) are simply recovered and we discuss the correspondence with the seminal approaches of Martin-Siggia-Rose and of Rose and we discuss the correspondence with the seminal approaches of Martin-Siggia-Rose and of Rose.
