A UNIVERSAL APPROACH TO THE INTERMEDIATE ANOMALY OF KEPLERIAN MOTION

Within the framework of the elliptic two-body problem, Nacozy defined and integrated a Sundman-type transformation of the time variable. The new independent variable tau introduced through this device was terme d the intermediate anomaly of Keplerian motion. We propose a general a nd systematic derivation of this kind of anomaly within a universal fo rmulation and representation of the two-body problem, and Nacozy's dev elopments are thus generalized and adapted to yield a uniform treatmen t of Kepler motion. To this end, an essential analytical tool is provi ded by certain classes of special functions, the so-called universal f unctions and Stumpff c-functions.