polar coordinate

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. Usually polar coordinates one of two coordinates used to locate a point in a plane by the length of its radius vector and the angle this vector makes with the polar axis polar angle.

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Etymology

Origin of polar coordinate

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Eventually she leads us toward more abstract concepts such as the polar coordinate system, a graphical approach to defining a point using distance and angle, as well as irrational numbers and decimals that repeat infinitely.

From Scientific American • Jun. 20, 2023

The polar coordinate system provides an alternative way to locate points in the plane.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

This process generates a list of ordered pairs, which can be plotted in the polar coordinate system.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Figure 7.29 Three points plotted in the polar coordinate system.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Each of these orbits can be modeled by a conic section in the polar coordinate system.

From Textbooks • Feb. 13, 2015