Cartesian System
Cartesian is related to the French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes (Latin: Cartesius), who, among other things, worked to merge algebra and Euclidean geometry. This work was influential in the development of analytic geometry, calculus, and cartography.
The idea of this system was developed in 1637 in two writings by Descartes. In part two of his Discourse on Method, Descartes introduces the new idea of specifying the position of a point or object on a surface, using two intersecting axes as measuring guides. In “La Géométrie”, he further explores the above-mentioned concepts.
A Cartesian coordinate system in two dimensions is commonly defined by two axes, at right angles to each other, forming a plane (a xy-plane). The horizontal axis is normally labeled x, and the vertical axis is normally labeled y. The axes are commonly defined as mutually orthogonal to each other (each at a right angle to the other). All the points in a Cartesian coordinate system taken together form a so-called Cartesian plane. Equations that use the Cartesian coordinate system are called Cartesian equations.
To find out more about the cartesian system, read the explanation below.
Practice: Answer the following exercises about the Cartesian coordinate system.