Found 2 items, similar to Cartesian coordinates.
English → English (WordNet)
Definition: cartesian coordinate
cartesian coordinate
n : one of the coordinates in a system of coordinates that
locates a point on a plane or in space by its distance
from two lines or three planes respectively; the two
lines or the intersections of the three planes are the
coordinate axes
English → English (gcide)
Definition: Cartesian coordinates
Coordinate
\Co*["o]r"di*nate\, n.
1. A thing of the same rank with another thing; one two or
more persons or things of equal rank, authority, or
importance.
[1913 Webster]
It has neither co["o]rdinate nor analogon; it is
absolutely one. --Coleridge.
[1913 Webster]
2. pl. (Math.) Lines, or other elements of reference, by
means of which the position of any point, as of a curve,
is defined with respect to certain fixed lines, or planes,
called co["o]rdinate axes and co["o]rdinate planes. See
Abscissa.
Note: Co["o]rdinates are of several kinds, consisting in some
of the different cases, of the following elements,
namely:
(a) (Geom. of Two Dimensions) The abscissa and ordinate of
any point, taken together; as the abscissa PY and
ordinate PX of the point P (Fig. 2, referred to the
co["o]rdinate axes AY and AX.
(b) Any radius vector PA (Fig. 1), together with its angle
of inclination to a fixed line, APX, by which any
point A in the same plane is referred to that fixed
line, and a fixed point in it, called the pole, P.
(c) (Geom. of Three Dimensions) Any three lines, or
distances, PB, PC, PD (Fig. 3), taken parallel to
three co["o]rdinate axes, AX, AY, AZ, and measured
from the corresponding co["o]rdinate fixed planes,
YAZ, XAZ, XAY, to any point in space, P, whose
position is thereby determined with respect to these
planes and axes.
(d) A radius vector, the angle which it makes with a fixed
plane, and the angle which its projection on the plane
makes with a fixed line line in the plane, by which
means any point in space at the free extremity of the
radius vector is referred to that fixed plane and
fixed line, and a fixed point in that line, the pole
of the radius vector.
[1913 Webster]
Cartesian co["o]rdinates. See under
Cartesian.
Geographical co["o]rdinates, the latitude and longitude of
a place, by which its relative situation on the globe is
known. The height of the above the sea level constitutes a
third co["o]rdinate.
Polar co["o]rdinates, co["o]rdinates made up of a radius
vector and its angle of inclination to another line, or a
line and plane; as those defined in
(b) and
(d) above.
Rectangular co["o]rdinates, co["o]rdinates the axes of
which intersect at right angles.
Rectilinear co["o]rdinates, co["o]rdinates made up of right
lines. Those defined in
(a) and
(c) above are called also
Cartesian co["o]rdinates.
Trigonometrical co["o]rdinates or
Spherical co["o]rdinates
, elements of reference, by means of which the
position of a point on the surface of a sphere may be
determined with respect to two great circles of the
sphere.
Trilinear co["o]rdinates, co["o]rdinates of a point in a
plane, consisting of the three ratios which the three
distances of the point from three fixed lines have one to
another.
[1913 Webster]
Coordinate
\Co*["o]r"di*nate\, n.
1. A thing of the same rank with another thing; one two or
more persons or things of equal rank, authority, or
importance.
[1913 Webster]
It has neither co["o]rdinate nor analogon; it is
absolutely one. --Coleridge.
[1913 Webster]
2. pl. (Math.) Lines, or other elements of reference, by
means of which the position of any point, as of a curve,
is defined with respect to certain fixed lines, or planes,
called co["o]rdinate axes and co["o]rdinate planes. See
Abscissa.
Note: Co["o]rdinates are of several kinds, consisting in some
of the different cases, of the following elements,
namely:
(a) (Geom. of Two Dimensions) The abscissa and ordinate of
any point, taken together; as the abscissa PY and
ordinate PX of the point P (Fig. 2, referred to the
co["o]rdinate axes AY and AX.
(b) Any radius vector PA (Fig. 1), together with its angle
of inclination to a fixed line, APX, by which any
point A in the same plane is referred to that fixed
line, and a fixed point in it, called the pole, P.
(c) (Geom. of Three Dimensions) Any three lines, or
distances, PB, PC, PD (Fig. 3), taken parallel to
three co["o]rdinate axes, AX, AY, AZ, and measured
from the corresponding co["o]rdinate fixed planes,
YAZ, XAZ, XAY, to any point in space, P, whose
position is thereby determined with respect to these
planes and axes.
(d) A radius vector, the angle which it makes with a fixed
plane, and the angle which its projection on the plane
makes with a fixed line line in the plane, by which
means any point in space at the free extremity of the
radius vector is referred to that fixed plane and
fixed line, and a fixed point in that line, the pole
of the radius vector.
[1913 Webster]
Cartesian co["o]rdinates. See under
Cartesian.
Geographical co["o]rdinates, the latitude and longitude of
a place, by which its relative situation on the globe is
known. The height of the above the sea level constitutes a
third co["o]rdinate.
Polar co["o]rdinates, co["o]rdinates made up of a radius
vector and its angle of inclination to another line, or a
line and plane; as those defined in
(b) and
(d) above.
Rectangular co["o]rdinates, co["o]rdinates the axes of
which intersect at right angles.
Rectilinear co["o]rdinates, co["o]rdinates made up of right
lines. Those defined in
(a) and
(c) above are called also
Cartesian co["o]rdinates.
Trigonometrical co["o]rdinates or
Spherical co["o]rdinates
, elements of reference, by means of which the
position of a point on the surface of a sphere may be
determined with respect to two great circles of the
sphere.
Trilinear co["o]rdinates, co["o]rdinates of a point in a
plane, consisting of the three ratios which the three
distances of the point from three fixed lines have one to
another.
[1913 Webster]
Cartesian
\Car*te"sian\, a. [From Renatus Cartesius, Latinized
from of Ren['e] Descartes: cf. F. cart['e]sien.]
Of or pertaining to the French philosopher Ren['e] Descartes,
or his philosophy.
[1913 Webster]
The Cartesion argument for reality of matter. --Sir W.
Hamilton.
[1913 Webster]
Cartesian co["o]rdinates (Geom), distance of a point from
lines or planes; -- used in a system of representing
geometric quantities, invented by Descartes.
Cartesian devil, a small hollow glass figure, used in
connection with a jar of water having an elastic top, to
illustrate the effect of the compression or expansion of
air in changing the specific gravity of bodies.
Cartesion oval (Geom.), a curve such that, for any point of
the curve mr + m'r' = c, where r and r' are the distances
of the point from the two foci and m, m' and c are
constant; -- used by Descartes.
[1913 Webster]