Periodic solutions of the N-body problem (Q5917961)

The book is based on the author's research on Hamiltonian systems and periodic orbits in the \(N\)-body problem, and includes lectures given by the author at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. The reader is led from general results on Hamiltonian systems to some basic applications in celestial mechanics. Chapter 1 motivates the choice of periodic orbits as the subject of the book: since Newton's solution of the two-body problem, the periodic orbits became firmly established in celestial mechanics, and their importance was recognized by Poincaré as a way to understand the \(N\)-body problem. The \(N\)-body problem, with well-known special cases like Kepler problem, restricted circular and elliptic three-body problem, Hill's lunar equations - which are all described by Hamiltonian systems - are mentioned in chapter 2. Chapter 3 presents basic concepts of Hamiltonian formalism and symplectic geometry, with emphasis on systems of coordinates related to the \(N\)-body problem. Chapter 4 is devoted to central configurations which give rise to simple periodic solutions (Lagrangian solutions for the planar three-body problem, or Euler-Moulton solutions for the collinear \(N\)-body problem). The systems which admit continuous symmetries, ensuring the existence of integrals, are studied in chapter 5. For such systems, the Jacobian of Poincaré's continuation method is singular, but the integrals may be used to reduce (by the Meyer-Marsden-Weinstein method) the problem to a lower-dimensional one, which is still Hamiltonian. The theory is applied to the \(N\)-body problem, exploiting its invariance under the group of Euclidean motions. In chapter 6, the author exposes the existence, continuation, and stability of periodic solutions in general, and also for Hamiltonian systems with symmetries. The last six chapters of the book apply the theory and provide classes of periodic orbits for various problems of celestial mechanics: two particles with small mass moving on approximately circular orbits around a particle of large mass (satellite orbits); (\(N+1\))-body problem with one small mass; (\(N+1\))-body problem with \(N-1\) particles and the center of mass of the other pair moving approximately on a relative equilibrium orbit, while the two bodies move approximately on a small circular orbit about their center of mass (lunar orbits); (\(N+1\))-body problem with \(N\) primaries moving approximately on a relative equilibrium orbit, while one particle moves at a great distance approximately on a circular Kepler orbit about the center of mass (comet orbits); lunar theory, using Delaunay's model and a better model proposed by Hill as limiting case of the three-body problem; the planar \(N\)-body problem related to the periodic system of the elliptic restricted problem. One can find problems with different degrees of difficulty at the end of most of the chapters. Many results in this book were obtained recently, hence they can be used as a basis for further research. The book ends with an index and a list of 92 references. I hope that many mathematicians and advanced students interested in differential equations or in celestial mechanics will realize that they really need to have a book like this at hand.