Cartesian coordinate

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. Usually Cartesian coordinates a member of a system of coordinates for locating a point on a plane Cartesian plane by its distance from each of two intersecting lines, or in space by its distance from each of three planes intersecting at a point.

---

Etymology

Origin of Cartesian coordinate

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Cartesian coordinate

The Cartesian coordinate system provides a straightforward way to describe the location of points in space.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016

These systems have complicated modeling equations in the Cartesian coordinate system, which make them difficult to describe and analyze.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016

This section presents a natural extension of the two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate plane into three dimensions.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016

We have also examined notation for vectors drawn specifically in the Cartesian coordinate plane using For any of these vectors, we can calculate the magnitude.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

In contrast to Pierre L’Enfant’s grandiose national capital, the street commissioners adopted what Reuben Skye Rose-Redwood, a geographer and expert on the grid, described as “a physical representation of the Cartesian coordinate system.”

From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2011