ON THE APPLICATION OF PFAFF' S METHOD IN THE THEORY OF VARIATION OF ASTRONOMICAL CONSTANTS

摘要

Cartan's integral invariant is taken as a foundation of the theory of variation of astronomical parameters. The differential equations for the general perturbations are obtained as the first system of Pfaffian equa¬tions associated with the linear differential form appearing in the inte¬gral invariant.nThe equations for general perturbations of the Gibbsian unit vectors, of the Gibbsian rotation vector and of Euler's parameters are derived. The utilization of the Gibbsian rotation vector represents an extension of Strömgren's and of the author's ideas on special perturbations to the problems of general perturbations. Euler's parameters find their appli¬cation in Hansen's lunar theory.