# Three-body versus CR3BP tags; combine them?

The tag (5 questions) has the best name, but the tag info is written like a full tag Wiki rather than an excerpt. I think it can be shortened.

The tag (7 questions) has an admittedly cryptic name (that's on me) but I like the tag info:

Questions relating to the circular restricted three-body problem, where two large bodies orbit their center of mass and the third mass is negligible compared to the larger ones.

Are the questions on these tags close enough to be merged together? Does there need to be any distinction between proper CR3BP questions and those about three (or more) bodies in general?

In my opinion, these have some clear differences. The main one is that the CR3BP is much "nicer" than a more general three body problem. The restrictions made makes analytical solutions possible, gives certain constant parameters, etc. Assuming CR3BP or not has major implications for how you would attack a problem.

At the very least, some re-tagging of questions must be done, as they aren't being strict enough in the distinction. The two of us have 8 of the 12 questions, so that should be relatively straight forward.

A merge is possible, but despite the slightly ridiculous abbreviation, CR3BP isn't really all that obscure of a term.

I seldom see problems that are strictly three-body problems and not a general , but at the same time not CR3BP.

In case of a merge, I would prefer the simpler name for all CR3BP questions, moving any non-CR3BP questions currently tagged three-body to the n-body-problem.

• I think you've summed up the situation very nicely and I agree with everything you've written. After looking at all twelve, it looks to me like all of the cr3bp questions would be fine tagged as three-body instead. I don't see any that need to be reclassified as n-body, and I agree three-body should be the surviving or main tag. I still don't understand how synonyms work though, so I don't know how to proceed. – uhoh Jul 31 '19 at 13:03
• @uhoh Quickest if Hoh does it, since mods can do merges with instant synonymization. – called2voyage Jul 31 '19 at 14:29
• @called2voyage sounds good, thanks! – uhoh Jul 31 '19 at 14:50
• I have done a merge. It may take some time before all changes have reached the caches. – SE - stop firing the good guys Jul 31 '19 at 15:22
• cool, thanks! I see how that works finally, even when I search for the cr3bp tag it sends me to three-body. Thanks!! – uhoh Aug 1 '19 at 1:29