Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 August 2015
A series of standard programmes has been developed for numerical integration by Cowell's method of the differential equations of motion of minor bodies. A variable step is used, and perturbations by eight major planets and nongravitational effects are taken into consideration. Further programmes have been constructed as part of a general attempt at ITA to produce numerical theories of cometary motion. They include the reduction of observations, the comparison of the observations with theory and the improvement of orbits. The programmes make it possible to calculate (O–C) residuals of up to 2000 observations simultaneously.