Local evolution equations for non-Markovian processes

A Fokker–Planck equation approach for the treatment of non-Markovian stochastic processes is proposed. The approach is based on the introduction of fictitious trajectories sharing with the real ones their local structure and initial conditions. Different statistical quantities are generated by different construction rules for the trajectories, which coincide only in the Markovian case. The merits and limitations of the approach are discussed and applications to transport in ratchets and to anomalous diffusion are illustrated.