A Chebyshev-polynomial approximation to the coordinates of the planets

A Chebyshev polynomial approximation method is presented for the introduction of tabulated coordinates of the major planets into computer memories in a more compact form. The iterative solution incorporates the simplex method of inverse matrices. The algorithm is implemented on a BESM-6 computer to approximate the rectangular coordinates of the eight solar system planets from Venus to Pluto. Tabular results presented show that the value of the eccentricity decisively influences the character of the relation between the degree of the approximating polynomial and the accuracy of the approximation. It is pointed out that the algorithm can be used to approximate other systems of functions in addition to the Chebyshev polynomial.