Katana VentraIP

Cartesian coordinate system

In geometry, a Cartesian coordinate system (UK: /kɑːrˈtzjən/, US: /kɑːrˈtʒən/) in a plane is a coordinate system that specifies each point uniquely by a pair of real numbers called coordinates, which are the signed distances to the point from two fixed perpendicular oriented lines, called coordinate lines, coordinate axes or just axes (plural of axis) of the system. The point where they meet is called the origin and has (0, 0) as coordinates.

Similarly, the position of any point in three-dimensional space can be specified by three Cartesian coordinates, which are the signed distances from the point to three mutually perpendicular planes. More generally, n Cartesian coordinates specify the point in an n-dimensional Euclidean space for any dimension n. These coordinates are the signed distances from the point to n mutually perpendicular fixed hyperplanes.


Cartesian coordinates are named for René Descartes, whose invention of them in the 17th century revolutionized mathematics by allowing the expression of problems of geometry in terms of algebra and calculus. Using the Cartesian coordinate system, geometric shapes (such as curves) can be described by equations involving the coordinates of points of the shape. For example, a circle of radius 2, centered at the origin of the plane, may be described as the set of all points whose coordinates x and y satisfy the equation x2 + y2 = 4; the area, the perimeter and the tangent line at any point can be computed from this equation by using integrals and derivatives, in a way that can be applied to any curve.


Cartesian coordinates are the foundation of analytic geometry, and provide enlightening geometric interpretations for many other branches of mathematics, such as linear algebra, complex analysis, differential geometry, multivariate calculus, group theory and more. A familiar example is the concept of the graph of a function. Cartesian coordinates are also essential tools for most applied disciplines that deal with geometry, including astronomy, physics, engineering and many more. They are the most common coordinate system used in computer graphics, computer-aided geometric design and other geometry-related data processing.

History[edit]

The adjective Cartesian refers to the French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes, who published this idea in 1637 while he was resident in the Netherlands. It was independently discovered by Pierre de Fermat, who also worked in three dimensions, although Fermat did not publish the discovery.[1] The French cleric Nicole Oresme used constructions similar to Cartesian coordinates well before the time of Descartes and Fermat.[2]


Both Descartes and Fermat used a single axis in their treatments and have a variable length measured in reference to this axis.[3] The concept of using a pair of axes was introduced later, after Descartes' La Géométrie was translated into Latin in 1649 by Frans van Schooten and his students. These commentators introduced several concepts while trying to clarify the ideas contained in Descartes's work.[4]


The development of the Cartesian coordinate system would play a fundamental role in the development of the calculus by Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.[5] The two-coordinate description of the plane was later generalized into the concept of vector spaces.[6]


Many other coordinate systems have been developed since Descartes, such as the polar coordinates for the plane, and the spherical and cylindrical coordinates for three-dimensional space.

Cartesian formulae for the plane[edit]

Distance between two points[edit]

The Euclidean distance between two points of the plane with Cartesian coordinates and is

Cartesian coordinate robot

Horizontal and vertical

which plots four variables rather than two

Jones diagram

Orthogonal coordinates

Polar coordinate system

Regular grid

Spherical coordinate system

Axler, Sheldon (2015). . Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics. Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-11080-6. ISBN 978-3-319-11079-0. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.

Linear Algebra Done Right

Berlinski, David (2011). . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307789730.

A Tour of the Calculus

Brannan, David A.; Esplen, Matthew F.; Gray, Jeremy J. (1998). Geometry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  978-0-521-59787-6.

ISBN

Burton, David M. (2011). The History of Mathematics/An Introduction (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.  978-0-07-338315-6.

ISBN

Griffiths, David J. (1999). . Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-805326-0.

Introduction to Electrodynamics

Hughes-Hallett, Deborah; McCallum, William G.; Gleason, Andrew M. (2013). Calculus: Single and Multivariable (6th ed.). . ISBN 978-0470-88861-2.

John Wiley & Sons

Kent, Alexander J.; Vujakovic, Peter (4 October 2017). . Routledge. ISBN 9781317568216.

The Routledge Handbook of Mapping and Cartography

Smart, James R. (1998), Modern Geometries (5th ed.), Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole,  978-0-534-35188-5

ISBN

Anton, Howard; Bivens, Irl C.; Davis, Stephen (2021). . John Wiley & Sons. p. 657. ISBN 978-1-119-77798-4.

Calculus: Multivariable

(2001). Discourse on Method, Optics, Geometry, and Meteorology. Translated by Paul J. Oscamp (Revised ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87220-567-3. OCLC 488633510.

Descartes, René

Korn GA, (1961). Mathematical Handbook for Scientists and Engineers (1st ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 55–79. LCCN 59-14456. OCLC 19959906.

Korn TM

, Murphy GM (1956). The Mathematics of Physics and Chemistry. New York: D. van Nostrand. LCCN 55-10911.

Margenau H

Moon P, Spencer DE (1988). "Rectangular Coordinates (x, y, z)". Field Theory Handbook, Including Coordinate Systems, Differential Equations, and Their Solutions (corrected 2nd, 3rd print ed.). New York: Springer-Verlag. pp. 9–11 (Table 1.01).  978-0-387-18430-2.

ISBN

, Feshbach H (1953). Methods of Theoretical Physics, Part I. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-043316-8. LCCN 52-11515.

Morse PM

Sauer R, Szabó I (1967). Mathematische Hilfsmittel des Ingenieurs. New York: Springer Verlag.  67-25285.

LCCN

Cartesian Coordinate System

"Cartesian Coordinates". MathWorld.

Weisstein, Eric W.

Coordinate Converter – converts between polar, Cartesian and spherical coordinates

– interactive tool to explore coordinates of a point

Coordinates of a point

open source JavaScript class for 2D/3D Cartesian coordinate system manipulation