A formal description of angular correlations in fluids is presented. The method of functional Taylor expansion is used to formulate expressions for correlation functions. An approximate potential for rodlike particles, a generalized Ornsteinhyphen;Zernike equation, and a generalized Percushyphen;Yevick equation are used in the calculation of anisotropichyphen;isotropic transition properties of liquid crystals. It is shown that a purely repulsive potential and the Percushyphen;Yevick equation lead to a description of the anisotropichyphen;isotropic transition that can never agree with the experimentally observed properties.
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