Kubo's paper on linear-response theory provided a unified language to describe a wide variety of transport phenomena, both quantum and classical, in a suitable "microscopic" language. The paper has been crucial for subsequent developments in numerical simulation.

doi.org/10.1007/s002149900019
Theor. Chem. Acc.

Frenkel, D. (2000). Perspective on "Statistical mechanical theory of irreversible processes. I. General theory and simple applications to magnetic and conduction problems" [Kubo R (1957) J Phys Soc Jpn 12: 570]. Theor. Chem. Acc., 103, 234–235. doi:10.1007/s002149900019