Diffusion Approximation and Hyperbolic Automorphisms of the Torus

In this article a diffusion equation is obtained as a limit of a reversible kinetic equation with an ad hoc scaling. The diffusion is produced by the collisions of the particles with the boundary. These particles are assumed to be reflected according to a reversible law having convenient mixing properties. Optimal convergence results are obtained in a very simple manner. This is made possible because the model, based on Arnold" s cat map can be handled with Fourier series instead of the symbolic dynamics associated to a Markow partition