  In [C. Mouhot and L. Pareschi, "Fast algorithms for computing the Boltzmann
collision operator," Math. Comp., to appear; C. Mouhot and L. Pareschi, C. R.
Math. Acad. Sci. Paris, 339 (2004), pp. 71-76], fast deterministic algorithms
based on spectral methods were derived for the Boltzmann collision operator for
a class of interactions including the hard spheres model in dimension three.
These algorithms are implemented for the solution of the Boltzmann equation in
two and three dimension, first for homogeneous solutions, then for general non
homogeneous solutions. The results are compared to explicit solutions, when
available, and to Monte-Carlo methods. In particular, the computational cost
and accuracy are compared to those of Monte-Carlo methods as well as to those
of previous spectral methods. Finally, for inhomogeneous solutions, we take
advantage of the great computational efficiency of the method to show an
oscillation phenomenon of the entropy functional in the trend to equilibrium,
which was suggested in the work [L. Desvillettes and C. Villani, Invent. Math.,
159 (2005), pp. 245-316].
