Classical Planar Scattering by Coulombic Potentials

The book explores the complexities of the n-body problem in celestial mechanics, highlighting the challenges in finding explicit solutions for systems with more than two bodies. It discusses Poincaré's groundbreaking work that shifted the focus from seeking exact solutions to qualitative analysis, such as the stability of the solar system. The narrative emphasizes the limitations of traditional approaches and the necessity of simplified models, like planar motion and the restricted 3-body problem, to gain insights into the dynamics of multiple interacting bodies.