  The non-Markovian nature of polymer motions is accounted for in folding
kinetics, using frequency-dependent friction. Folding, like many other problems
in the physics of disordered systems, involves barrier crossing on a correlated
energy landscape. A variational transition state theory (VTST) that reduces to
the usual Bryngelson-Wolynes Kramers approach when the non-Markovian aspects
are neglected is used to obtain the rate, without making any assumptions
regarding the size of the barrier, or the memory time of the friction. The
transformation to collective variables dependent on the dynamics of the system
allows the theory to address the controversial issue of what are ``good''
reaction coordinates for folding.
