Introduction to Hamiltonian dynamical systems and the \(N\)-body problem (Q5892335)

The book begins as an elementary introduction to the theory of Hamiltonian systems, taking as a starting point Hamiltonian systems of differential equations and explaining the interesting features they have with the help of classical examples. Subsequently, the basic theoretical notions are gradually introduced in order to work out the underlying structures leading to these features. A central theme of the book is the \(N\)-body problem, which is used as a paradigm to present a big part of the questions that arise in the theory of Hamiltonian systems and the very different approaches taken for their clarification. Thus, the book makes excursions into many advanced topics, such as symplectic geometry, normal forms, bifurcation theory, KAM theory, and variational methods, trying to explain the main ideas and results in a way as simple as possible, without hiding the deepness and possible abstraction level of these theories. Due to this approach the book can be used at an advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level as an introduction to these subjects, in particular when one is interested in their impact on classical (celestial) mechanics.