N-body Problems — MCQs August 20, 2025 by u930973931_answers 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. What does the “N” represent in the N-body problem? (A) Number of stars (B) Number of bodies in the system (C) Number of galaxies (D) Number of satellites 2. The N-body problem arises in which field of physics? (A) Thermodynamics (B) Celestial mechanics (C) Quantum mechanics (D) Electrodynamics 3. The two-body problem can be solved: (A) Exactly (B) Approximately (C) Only numerically (D) Not at all 4. The three-body problem is generally: (A) Integrable in closed form (B) Non-integrable in closed form (C) Always unstable (D) Solvable analytically for all cases 5. Which mathematician first formulated the N-body problem? (A) Newton (B) Laplace (C) Lagrange (D) Euler 6. The gravitational N-body problem involves solving: (A) Linear equations (B) Nonlinear differential equations (C) Algebraic equations (D) Random equations 7. In the two-body problem, the motion reduces to: (A) Circular orbit (B) Elliptical orbit (C) Relative motion of one body (D) Parabolic orbit 8. The restricted three-body problem assumes one body is: (A) Massless (B) Infinite in mass (C) Stationary (D) Invisible 9. The five equilibrium points in the restricted three-body problem are called: (A) Nodes (B) Foci (C) Lagrange points (D) Kepler points 10. How many Lagrange points exist in the Earth-Sun system? (A) 3 (B) 4 (C) 5 (D) 7 11. Which two Lagrange points are stable? (A) L1 and L2 (B) L2 and L3 (C) L3 and L4 (D) L4 and L5 12. The circular restricted three-body problem assumes orbits are: (A) Elliptical (B) Parabolic (C) Circular (D) Hyperbolic 13. The N-body problem is considered: 14. Numerical simulations of the N-body problem are commonly done using: (A) Euler’s method (B) N-body integrators (C) Taylor expansion (D) Fourier series 15. Which field heavily uses N-body simulations? (A) Geology (B) Astrophysics (C) Biology (D) Meteorology 16. Which problem inspired chaos theory? (A) Two-body problem (B) Three-body problem (C) N = 4 case (D) Infinite-body case 17. The N-body problem is an example of a: (A) Linear system (B) Dynamical system (C) Static system (D) Trivial system 18. Which method is used for approximate N-body solutions? (A) Perturbation theory (B) Exact integration (C) Polynomial fitting (D) Logarithmic expansion 19. Which conservation laws apply to the N-body problem? (A) Energy and angular momentum (B) Momentum and charge (C) Pressure and density (D) Entropy and mass defect 20. The computational cost of N-body simulations scales approximately as: (A) N (B) N log N (C) N² (D) √N 21. Which algorithm reduces the cost of large N-body simulations? (A) Runge-Kutta method (B) Barnes–Hut tree algorithm (C) Monte Carlo integration (D) Taylor expansion 22. A famous restricted three-body solution was given by: (A) Newton (B) Lagrange (C) Copernicus (D) Kepler 23. The stability of planetary systems is studied using: (A) Thermodynamics (B) N-body simulations (C) Electrodynamics (D) Fluid mechanics 24. The N-body problem is deterministic but: (A) Predictable for all times (B) Unpredictable long term (C) Random in nature (D) Independent of gravity 25. Which scientist proved the general three-body problem has no closed-form solution? (A) Poincaré (B) Newton (C) Lagrange (D) Gauss 26. Which approach uses statistical methods to approximate N-body interactions? (A) Kinetic theory (B) Chaos theory (C) Perturbation expansion (D) Fourier analysis 27. The solar system’s long-term stability is studied as a: (A) Two-body problem (B) Restricted three-body problem (C) General N-body problem (D) Hyperbolic system 28. Which mission uses Lagrange points for satellite placement? (A) Voyager (B) Gaia (C) Apollo (D) Curiosity 29. Which type of force primarily governs the N-body problem in astronomy? (A) Electromagnetic force (B) Gravitational force (C) Strong nuclear force (D) Weak nuclear force 30. The “hierarchical system” approximation treats N-body systems as: (A) Completely chaotic (B) Independent pairs (C) Nested two-body systems (D) Random groups 31. Which numerical method is widely used in N-body simulations? (A) Leapfrog integration (B) Linear regression (C) Fourier transform (D) Gaussian elimination 32. The gravitational potential energy in an N-body system depends on: (A) Positions only (B) Velocities only (C) Both masses and positions (D) Energy alone 33. The motion of asteroids influenced by Jupiter is an example of: (A) Two-body problem (B) Three-body problem (C) N-body problem (D) Four-body problem 34. The N-body problem can show resonance phenomena such as: (A) Magnetic alignment (B) Orbital resonance (C) Thermal fluctuations (D) Fluid turbulence 35. The main challenge of the N-body problem is: (A) Too few equations (B) Too many interacting forces (C) Lack of observations (D) Absence of conservation laws 36. Which concept in physics is closely related to N-body chaos? (A) Quantum uncertainty (B) Sensitivity to initial conditions (C) Conservation of mass (D) Electromagnetic waves 37. Which type of N-body problem is used in studying star clusters? (A) Restricted (B) General (C) Approximate (D) Two-body 38. Which mathematical tool is crucial in analyzing N-body systems? (A) Differential equations (B) Boolean algebra (C) Venn diagrams (D) Probability matrices 39. In galactic dynamics, N-body problems simulate: (A) Planetary interiors (B) Stellar evolution (C) Galaxy formation (D) Cosmic microwave background 40. Which system is often modeled as an N-body system? (A) Earth’s atmosphere (B) A star cluster (C) Atomic nucleus (D) Electromagnetic field 41. The collinear Lagrange points (L1, L2, L3) are: (A) Stable (B) Unstable (C) Periodic (D) Nonexistent 42. The Hamiltonian of the N-body problem is: (A) Constant of motion (B) Variable with time (C) Undefined (D) Always zero 43. N-body simulations are limited by: (A) Computer power (B) Lack of mathematics (C) Incomplete gravity law (D) Human error only 44. The restricted three-body problem helps explain: (A) Tides (B) Trojan asteroids (C) Black hole formation (D) Quantum tunneling 45. Which approximation assumes nearby bodies dominate gravitational effects? (A) Local approximation (B) Mean field approximation (C) Perturbation approximation (D) Cluster approximation 46. Which of the following is an exact solution to a special three-body case? (A) Euler’s collinear solution (B) Newton’s spiral solution (C) Laplace’s stable orbit (D) Poincaré’s chaotic orbit 47. Which astronomical system is best described by a restricted three-body problem? (A) Earth–Moon–Sun system (B) Jupiter–Saturn system (C) Double star cluster (D) Galaxy pair 48. The motion of particles in dark matter halos is often modeled using: (A) Two-body problem (B) General N-body problem (C) Quantum mechanics (D) Special relativity 49. Which branch of mathematics developed in part due to the N-body problem? (A) Topology (B) Chaos theory (C) Algebraic geometry (D) Set theory 50. The N-body problem illustrates the limits of: (A) Newtonian mechanics (B) Relativity (C) Thermodynamics (D) Quantum mechanics