The Three Body Problem

Last updated Aug 15, 2023

• Source: Yancy Strickler; Miscellaneous Notes/Literature Notes/The Dark Forest Theory of the Internet - Literature Notes
• Keywords: Cards/permanent notes
  • #physics #mechanics
• Relevant Notes:

• The three-body problem involves taking the initial positions + velocities of 3 point masses and solving for their subsequent motion.
• This is according to Newton’s laws of motion + law of universal gravitation.
• Chaotic for most initial conditions.
• No general closed-form solution exists.

the three-body problem is the problem of taking the initial positions and velocities (or momenta) of three point masses and solving for their subsequent motion according to Newton’s laws of motion and Newton’s law of universal gravitation.[1] The three-body problem is a special case of the n-body problem. Unlike two-body problems, no general closed-form solution exists,[1] as the resulting dynamical system is chaotic for most initial conditions, and numerical methods are generally required.