- In physics, the n-body problem is the problem of predicting the individual motions of a group of celestial objects interacting with each other gravitationally. Solving this problem has been motivated by the desire to understand the motions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and visible stars. In the 20th century, understanding the dynamics of globular cluster star systems became an important n-body problem. The n-body problem in general relativity is considerably more difficult to solve due to additional factors like time and space distortions.
- Kirkland — Thumbnail History (historylink.org)
The city of Kirkland, located on the northeastern shore of Lake Washington east of Seattle, is named for Peter Kirk (1840-1916). Kirk was a British steel industrialist who originally envisioned Kirkland as a bustling steel town. Kirk’s plans didn’t materialize. Nevertheless, Kirkland has become by the twenty-first century a thriving suburban community of almost 50,000 people.