Page:Scientific Papers of Josiah Willard Gibbs - Volume 2.djvu/148

132 For control:

The computer is now to assume any reasonable values either of the geocentric distances, $$\rho_{1}, \rho_{2}, \rho_{3},$$ or of the heliocentric distances, $$r_{1}, r_{2}, r_{3}$$ (the former in the case of a comet, the latter in the case of an asteroid), and from these assumed values to compute the rest of the following quantities:

These computations are controlled by the agreement of the three values of $$G.$$

The following are not necessary except when the corrections to be made are large: