π«The three-body problem refers to the challenge of predicting the future of a system consisting of three objects of similar mass in orbit around each other.
πThe three-body problem is chaotic, meaning that even small changes in initial conditions can lead to drastically different outcomes over time.
πIn a restricted three-body problem, where one object is much smaller than the other two, stable orbits can be maintained, but the larger system remains chaotic.
πThe stability of our solar system, despite the gravitational influence of other planets, is an example of the restrictions that allow stability amidst chaos.
βοΈThe study of the three-body problem has applications in astrophysics, celestial mechanics, and understanding the behavior of star clusters.