[pdonis]

> Epicycles are much, much more wrong than mathematically perfect elliptical orbits.

Not if you define "wrong" as "inaccurate predictions". You can approximate ellipses with circles and epicycles to any desired degree of accuracy by putting in more epicycles. So you can match the predictions of ellipses to any desired accuracy with epicycles.

Also, as I noted, the actual orbits of the planets are not perfect ellipses once GR effects are taken into account. Have you proven mathematically that it is impossible to construct an epicycle model that makes more accurate predictions than perfect ellipses, based on the actual data (which confirms the GR predictions to within current observational accuracy)?

[EForEndeavour]

You're being intentionally obtuse. "Just add more epicycles!" isn't building a better model (for a sensible definition of "better"). It's just overfitting. You are the reason why regularization exists. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regularization_(mathematics)

[basurihn]

After reading this thread, I think I've discovered the real reason new physics isn't being done.