I recently finished watching the 3 Body Problem on Netflix so this question came to mind. Can anyone explain (in simple terms) why the 3 body problem was deemed unsolvable even by the advanced alien race in the series? Even better, can anyone here simplify what the 3 Body Problem actually is in Physics? It really got my curiosity. Thanks! 🙂
In: Physics
I just did some research on this and want to throw this out there, framed in a way that makes sense to me but different from the other comments:
We know the problem has not been or cannot be solved in closed form, but can be projected forward with math to any point in the future.
In an idealized scenario (e.g., three digital bodies where we know the exact mass, position, and velocity), this can be projected with 100% accuracy to any point in the future.
The issue really is one of measurement constraints. For example, if the mass is a tiny bit less than assumed, then it will cause an error that magnifies over time.
Like, there might be a point in the interaction where mass A by the skin of its teeth won out in pulling C towards it rather than B. If A was a little less massive, it might lose the tug of war then set everything on a radically different trajectory.
So not only does a measurement error magnify over time, the magnification itself progresses chaotically.
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