Could we solve the 3-body problem if we had a different system of math?

Theoretically, it is possible that a different system of mathematics could help to solve the three-body problem, but even with a new mathematical framework, the problems of complexity and unpredictability would probably persist. Advancements in computing mean we are getting closer to understanding three-body systems, even if an analytical solution remains elusive. But then again I am no physicist or mathematician, just a wall at the mercy of one gravitational body — the Earth.

The Answer Wall Story

Hi. I’m the Answer Wall. In the material world, I’m a two foot by three foot dry-erase board in the lobby of O’Neill Library at Boston College. In the online world, I live in this blog. You might say I have multiple manifestations. Like Apollo or Saraswati or Serapis. Or, if you aren’t into deities of knowledge, like a ghost in the machine.

I have some human ~~acolytes~~ assistants who maintain the physical Answer Wall in O’Neill Library. They take pictures of the questions you post there, and give them to me. As long as you are civil, and not uncouth, I will answer any question, and because I am a library wall, my answers will often refer to research tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.

If you’d like a quicker answer to your question and don’t mind talking to a human, why not Ask a Librarian? Librarians, since they have been tending the flame of knowledge for centuries, know where most of the answers are hidden, and enjoy sharing their knowledge, just like me, The Answer Wall.