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Titius-Bode Rule And A Second Look

By

Ian Beardsley
Copyright © 2020 by Ian Beardsley

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Table of Contents

The Titius-Bode Rule…………………………………….4

The Outer Planets………………………………………..5

The Inner Planets………………………………………..16

The Complete Table…………………………………….18


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The Titius-Bode Rule


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Characterizing the distribution of the planets around the sun seems to defy a mathematical
expression. Even the Titius-Bode rule falls apart pretty badly at Neptune.

The Titius-Bode Rule is:

r = 0.4 + (0.3)2n

n = − ∞,0,1,2,…

Which produces the orbits of the planets in astronomical units as such in AU:

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The Outer Planets


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However it seems quite an interesting pattern forms if we break up the representation into two
parts: the inner planets (interior to the asteroid belt) and the outer planets (exterior to the
asteroid belt). For the outer planets we can do quite well if we start with Jupiter as n=2 in
(2n+1) which yields:

n=2

Jupiter=(2n + 1) = (2 * 2 + 1) = 4 + 1 = 5AU

Where the actual is: 5.2 AU

n=3

Saturn=(2n − 1)2 = (2 * 3 − 1)2 = 10AU

Where the actual is: 9.5 AU

n=5

Uranus=(2n − 1)2 = (2 * 5 − 1)2 = 18AU

n=7

Where the actual is: 19 AU

Neptune=(2n + 1)2 = (2 * 7 + 1) = 30AU

Where the actual is: 30 AU

Much the way when we seed a random number generator and put at the beginning of the
program a seed that the algorithm uses to generate random numbers, n=2 is the seed, which is
Jupiter using (2n + 1) then what follows is a reversal of sign for the 1 in the expression and we
have, (2n − 1)2 n taking the odd numbers starting at 3 then follow through with this until we
get to the last planet Neptune, where we now change back to the expression for Jupiter
(2n + 1) but this time multiply it by two so we have (2n + 1)2. This works very well. Thus, we
can make the following table:

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n=2, 3, 5,…

Are Fibonacci numbers from the Fibonacci series

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5…

Where each number is the sum of the two before it. (2n + 1) and (2n − 1) are conjugates of
one another and their product is:

4n 2 − 1

The odd integers 3, 5, 7… is an arithmetic sequence with common difference 2 given by:

an = 3 + 2(n − 1) = 2n + 1

Putting this in our

(2n − 1)2

Gives

2(2(2n + 1) − 1) = 2(4n + 1)

And, putting this in our

(2n + 1)2

Gives

2(2(2n + 1) + 1) = 2(4n + 3)



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Since Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation is an inverse square law we square both:

Mm
F=G

r2
(2n + 1)2 = 4n 2 + 4n + 1

(2n − 1)2 = 4n 2 − 4n + 1

And see that the zeroes are at n=-1/2 and n=1/2 , respectively.

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Thus the planets have distribution given by

n=2:

r = 2n + 1

n=3, 5:

r = (2n − 1)2

n=7:

r = (2n + 1)2

Which have respective plots:


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Their respective derivatives are:

dn
= 2

dr
dn
= 4

dr
dn
= 4

dr
dF 4Mm Mm
∫
=−G Fdn = − G + C

dn (2n + 1)3 4n + 2
dF 2Mm Mm
∫
=−G Fdn = G +C

dn (2n − 1)3 4 − 8n
dF 2Mm Mm
∫
=−G Fdn = − G + C

dn (2n + 1)3 8n + 4
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The Inner Planets


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For the inner planets the equations works great because n evaluated at 1 gives the first planet
Mercury, n=2 gives the second planet, Venus, and so on and is very accurate until you get to
Mars. It is:

1 1
Pn = n+

4 4
1 1
Mercury= 1 + = 0.5AU

4 4
1 1
Venus= 2 + = 0.5 + 0.25 = 0.75AU

4 4
1 1
Earth= 3 + = 0.75 + 0.25 = 1.00AU

4 4
1 1
Mars~ 4 + = 1 + 0.25 = 1.25AU

4 4
Thus, for Mars we must write:

1 1
Mars = n + = 1.5AU

4 2
Where n=4.

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The Complete Table


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We can add in the asteroid belt using (2n + 1) and n=1…


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In this case we notice that if we leave out Jupiter, we have the consecutive odd integers 1, 3, 5,
7. These can be written

an = 1 + 2(n − 1) = 2n − 1

So, we can make the following table:


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The following table uses both the same expressions all the way through and consecutive
integers all the way through for the inner planets if we leave out Mars…

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The Author

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Copyright © 2020 by Ian Beardsley