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The Three-Body Problem
In physics and classical mechanics, the three-body problem is the problem of taking the initial positions, masses, and velocities of three bodies for some particular point in time and solving for their subsequent motions. In 1887, Henri Poincaré received an award for his solution to the three-body problem in which he showed that no general analytical solution exists for the three-body problem and therefore, the stability of such systems can’t be demonstrated. -
The Chaos Theory
While studying the three-body problem, Henri Poincaré developed what is known as the chaos theory. This theory is a branch of mathematics focusing on the behavior of dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. In his research regarding the three-body problem, Poincaré found that the evolution of such a system is often chaotic therefore the stability of such systems can’t be demonstrated. -
The Poincaré Conjecture
Henri Poincaré was responsible for formulating one of the most famous and important problems in mathematics, known as the Poincaré conjecture. This theorem states that every simply connected, closed, three-dimensional manifold is topologically equivalent to the three-dimensional sphere. This theorem has allowed us to develop a deeper understanding of the field of topology and has introduced important techniques that can be used on other problems. -
Gravitational Waves
In 1905, Henri Poincaré was the first to propose the idea of gravitational waves, which are disturbances in the fabric of space-time. They are generated by accelerated masses and propagate outward from their source at the speed of light.
