UNIVERSAL FORMULATION FOR THE N-BODY PROBLEM

The universal formulation for the perturbed two-body problem is genera lized to cover all gravitational N-body problems involving a dominant central mass. Its efficiency, when compared to conventional numerical integration, is shown in several examples. The convergence and numeric al stability of the method is discussed, and a universal state transit ion matrix is obtained, which can be used either in a process of diffe rential correction of an orbit or, as in the present case, to obtain a n accurate estimation of global errors.