The Shaggy Steed of Physics: Mathematical Beauty in the Physical World

The Shaggy Steed is an unassuming figure from Irish folklore who reveals himself as an inspiring teacher of the forces hidden in the universe. This book celebrates an unassuming bit of physics that also turns out to be an inspiring teacher. The two-body problem - the motion of two bodies bound by the inverse-square force of gravity and electricity - is the Shaggy Steed of physics, guiding the reader to an understanding of both the forces and the mathematical beauty hidden in the physical world.