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Concept
N-body problem
Summary
In physics, the n-body problem is the problem of predicting the individual motions of a group of celestial objects interacting with each other gravitationally. Solving this problem has been motivated by the desire to understand the motions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and visible stars. In the 20th century, understanding the dynamics of globular cluster star systems became an important n-body problem. The n-body problem in general relativity is considerably more difficult to solve due to additional factors like time and space distortions.
The classical physical problem can be informally stated as the following:
Given the quasi-steady orbital properties (instantaneous position, velocity and time) of a group of celestial bodies, predict their interactive forces; and consequently, predict their true orbital motions for all future times.
The two-body problem has been completely solved and is discussed below, as well as the famous restricted three-body problem.
Knowing three orbital positions of a planet's orbit – positions obtained by Sir Isaac Newton from astronomer John Flamsteed – Newton was able to produce an equation by straightforward analytical geometry, to predict a planet's motion; i.e., to give its orbital properties: position, orbital diameter, period and orbital velocity. Having done so, he and others soon discovered over the course of a few years, those equations of motion did not predict some orbits correctly or even very well. Newton realized that this was because gravitational interactive forces amongst all the planets were affecting all their orbits.
The aforementioned revelation strikes directly at the core of what the n-body issue physically is: as Newton understood, it is not enough to just provide the beginning location and velocity, or even three orbital positions, in order to establish a planet's actual orbit; one must also be aware of the gravitational interaction forces. Thus came the awareness and rise of the n-body "problem" in the early 17th century.
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