polar coordinates

British  

plural noun

1. a pair of coordinates for locating a point in a plane by means of the length of a radius vector, r, which pivots about the origin to establish the angle, θ, that the position of the point makes with a fixed line. Usually written ( r , θ) See also Cartesian coordinates spherical coordinates

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Example Sentences

Figure 1.39 A partition of a typical curve in polar coordinates.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

In polar coordinates, the circle is r = 2 cos θ so the region of integration in polar coordinates is bounded by 0 ≤ r ≤ cos θ and 0 ≤ θ ≤ π .

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

We also used this idea when we transformed double integrals in rectangular coordinates to polar coordinates and transformed triple integrals in rectangular coordinates to cylindrical or spherical coordinates to make the computations simpler.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

Earlier in this chapter we showed how to convert a double integral in rectangular coordinates into a double integral in polar coordinates in order to deal more conveniently with problems involving circular symmetry.

From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016

In the geometry of motion under central forces the advantage of working with polar coordinates is great.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various