The main purpose of the book is to acquaint mathematicians, physicists and engineers with classical mechanics as a whole, in both its traditional and its contemporary aspects. As such, it describes the fundamental principles, problems, and methods of classical mechanics, with the emphasis firmly laid on the working apparatus, rather than the physical foundations or applications. Chapters cover the n-body problem, symmetry groups of mechanical systems and the corresponding conservation laws, the problem of the integrability of the equations of motion, the theory of oscillations and perturbation theory.

"Brings together a number of lectures given between 1993 and 1999 as part of a special series hosted by the Federal University of Pernambuco, in which internationally established researchers came to Recife, Brazil, to lecture on classical or celestial mechanics. ... the editors have assembled nine of the lectures ... [which] includes a good balance of pure and applied research and of complete and incomplete results"--Bookjacket.

This accessible text on classical celestial mechanics, the principles governing the motions of bodies in the Solar System, provides a clear and concise treatment of virtually all of the major features of solar system dynamics. Building on advanced topics in classical mechanics such as rigid body rotation, Langrangian mechanics and orbital perturbation theory, this text has been written for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in astronomy, physics, mathematics and related fields. Specific topics covered include Keplerian orbits, the perihelion precession of the planets, tidal interactions between the Earth, Moon and Sun, the Roche radius, the stability of Lagrange points in the three-body problem and lunar motion. More than 100 exercises allow students to gauge their understanding and a solutions manual is available to instructors. Suitable for a first course in celestial mechanics, this text is the ideal bridge to higher level treatments.

Carl Ludwig Siegel gave a course of lectures on the Geometry of Numbers at New York University during the academic year 1945-46, when there were hardly any books on the subject other than Minkowski's original one. This volume stems from Siegel's requirements of accuracy in detail, both in the text and in the illustrations, but involving no changes in the structure and style of the lectures as originally delivered. This book is an enticing introduction to Minkowski's great work. It also reveals the workings of a remarkable mind, such as Siegel's with its precision and power and aesthetic charm. It is of interest to the aspiring as well as the established mathematician, with its unique blend of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and analysis, and its easy readability.

This overview of classical celestial mechanics focuses the interplay with dynamical systems. Paradigmatic models introduce key concepts – order, chaos, invariant curves and cantori – followed by the investigation of dynamical systems with numerical methods.

In the last 20 years, researchers in the field of celestial mechanics have achieved spectacular results in their effort to understand the structure and evolution of our solar system. Modern Celestial Mechanics uses a solid theoretical basis to describe recent results on solar system dynamics, and it emphasizes the dynamics of planets and of small bodies. To grasp celestial mechanics, one must comprehend the fundamental concepts of Hamiltonian systems theory, so this volume begins with an explanation of those concepts. Celestial mechanics itself is then considered, including the secular motion of planets and small bodies and mean motion resonances. Graduate students and researchers of astronomy and astrophysics will find Modern Celestial Mechanics an essential addition to their bookshelves.

This volume is designed as an introductory text and reference book for graduate students, researchers and practitioners in the fields of astronomy, astrodynamics, satellite systems, space sciences and astrophysics. The purpose of the book is to emphasize the similarities between celestial mechanics and astrodynamics, and to present recent advances in these two fields so that the reader can understand the inter-relations and mutual influences. The juxtaposition of celestial mechanics and astrodynamics is a unique approach that is expected to be a refreshing attempt to discuss both the mechanics of space flight and the dynamics of celestial objects. “Celestial Mechanics and Astrodynamics: Theory and Practice” also presents the main challenges and future prospects for the two fields in an elaborate, comprehensive and rigorous manner. The book presents homogenous and fluent discussions of the key problems, rendering a portrayal of recent advances in the field together with some basic concepts and essential infrastructure in orbital mechanics. The text contains introductory material followed by a gradual development of ideas interweaved to yield a coherent presentation of advanced topics.