For my project I created an n-body simulator to explore the chaotic effects of having more than two bodies interacting gravitationally.
In our universe, there are countless systems containing more than one body. Our solar system alone contains a star and eight (or nine, depending on who you ask) planets, along with many smaller asteroids and debris. Our galaxy is comprised of around 200 billion stars and a super-massive black hole at its center. Where, then, lies the dilemma of having more than two bodies n orbit? Well, these systems essentially function as independent binary systems overlaid on top on one another. Our solar system is practically a bunch of binary systems between the sun and an individual planet; the planets themselves are not massive enough o cause the sun to move very much and are far enough away from each other that they do not interact much with one another. The ¬n¬-body problem comes into play when the bodies in the system are all of comparable mass and interact with each of the other bodies in the system.