Related papers: "Twist Vectors" for Central Configuration Equation…
We consider $n$-body problems given by potentials of the form ${\alpha\over r^a}+{\beta\over r^b}$ with $a,b,\alpha,\beta$ constants, $0\le a<b$. To analyze the dynamics of the problem, we first prove some properties related to central…
The plane case of central configurations with four different masses is analyzed theoretically and is computed numerically. We follow Dziobek's approach to four body central configurations with a direct implicit method of our own in which…
Central configurations play an important role in the dynamics of the $n$-body problem: they occur as relative equilibria and as asymptotic configurations in colliding trajectories. We illustrate how they can be found as projective fixed…
In this paper,we study spatial central configurations where N bodies are at the vertices of a regular N-gon $T$ and the other 4 bodies are symmetrically located on the straight line that is perpendicular to the plane that contains $T$ and…
Central configurations give rise to self-similar solutions to the Newtonian $N$-body problem, and play important roles in understanding its complicated dynamics. Even the simple question of whether or not there are finitely many planar…
We discuss several conditions for four points to lie on a plane, and we use them to find new equations for four-body central configurations that use angles as variables. We use these equations to give novel proofs of some results for…
We discuss a new class of coordinate systems for a plane, which provide an analytical representation of arbitrary straightline, and then define the form of potential on the plane, under which the equations of motion of a mass point are…
Central configurations play a fundamental role in the Newtonian $n$-body problem, as they give rise to motions in which the configuration evolves while preserving its shape up to rotation and scaling. These include relative equilibria,…
Central configurations are fundamental equilibrium solutions of the Newtonian $n$-body problem and play a key role in understanding the structure and dynamics of gravitational systems. However, the classification and enumeration of such…
Planar central configurations can be seen as critical points of the reduced potential or solutions of a system of equations. By the homogeneity and invariance of the potential with respect to SO(2), it is possible to see that the…
We review and develop the classical theory of moments of configurations of weighted points with a focus on systems with an identically vanishing first moment. The latter condition produces equations for equilibrium configurations of systems…
Novel classes of dynamical systems are introduced, including many-body problems characterized by nonlinear equations of motion of Newtonian type ("acceleration equals forces") which determine the motion of points in the complex plane. These…
We consider the $N$-body problem of celestial mechanics in spaces of nonzero constant curvature. Using the concept of locked inertia tensor, we compute the moment of inertia for systems moving on spheres and hyperbolic spheres and show that…
General properties of the three-body problem in a model of modified dynamics are investigated. It is shown that the three-body problem in this model shares some characters with the similar problem in Newtonian dynamics. Moreover, the planar…
We present a new approach to describe the dynamics of an isolated, gravitationally bound astronomical $N$-body system in the weak field and slow-motion approximation of the general theory of relativity. Celestial bodies are described using…
A new coordinate system is defined for the Four-Body dynamical problem with general masses, having as its origin of coordinates the center of mass. The transformation from the inertial coordinate system involves a combination of a rotation…
Several completely integrable, indeed solvable, Hamiltonian many-body problems are exhibited, characterized by Newtonian equations of motion ("acceleration equal force"), with linear and cubic forces, in N-dimensional space (N being an…
Central configurations and relative equilibria are an important facet of the study of the $N$-body problem, but become very difficult to rigorously analyze for $N>3$. In this paper we focus on a particular but interesting class of…
This paper summarises a number of new, potentially significant, results, obtained recently by the author and his collaborators, which impact on various issues related to the gravitational N-body problem, both Newtonianly and in the context…
In this paper we study the linear stability of relative equilibria in the Newtonian $n$-body problem from the viewpoint of electromagnetic systems. We first examine the effect of the ambient dimension on stability, starting from the…