We present a numerical algorithm for evaluating the Boltzmann collision operator with O(N 2 ) operations based on high order discontinuous Galerkin discretizations in the velocity variable. To formulate the approach, Galerkin projection of the collision operator is written in the form of a bilinear circular convolution. An application of the discrete Fourier transform allows to rewrite the six fold convolution sum as a three fold weighted convolution sum in the frequency space. The new algorithm is implemented and tested in the spatially homogeneous case, and results in a considerable improvement in speed as compared to the direct evaluation. Simultaneous and separate evaluations of the gain and loss terms of the collision operator were considered. Less numerical error was observed in the conserved quantities with simultaneous evaluation.2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. 76P05,76M10,65M60.

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