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Cartesian coordinate system

Coordinate system that specifies each point uniquely by a pair of real numbers called coordinates

EntityQ62912

Also known as Cartesian coordinates

Subclass of: orthogonal coordinate system
, rectilinear coordinate system

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

In geometry, a Cartesian coordinate system 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 of the system. The point where the axes meet is called the origin and has (0, 0) as coordinates. The axes directions represent an orthogonal basis. The combination of origin and basis forms a coordinate frame called the Cartesian frame.

Overview

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35 statements · 23% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Named after: René Descartes
Facet of: analytic geometry
Different from: Cartesian coordinate

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26 identifiers linking Cartesian coordinate system across the web's reference databases

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statements

23%

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Source last edited September 10, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). Cartesian coordinate system (Q62912). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/cartesian-coordinate-system-Q62912