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  2. René Descartes - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/René_Descartes

    A Cartesian coordinates graph, using his invented x and y axes. One of Descartes' most enduring legacies was his development of Cartesian or analytic geometry, which uses algebra to describe geometry; the Cartesian coordinate system is named after him. He was first to assign a fundamental place for algebra in the system of knowledge, using it ...

  3. Coordinate system - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinate_system

    Coordinate system. The spherical coordinate system is commonly used in physics. It assigns three numbers (known as coordinates) to every point in Euclidean space: radial distance r, polar angle θ (theta), and azimuthal angle φ (phi). The symbol ρ (rho) is often used instead of r.

  4. Cartesian coordinate system - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_coordinate_system

    Cartesian coordinate system with a circle of radius 2 centered at the origin marked in red. The equation of a circle is (x − a)2 + (y − b)2 = r2 where a and b are the coordinates of the center (a, b) and r is the radius. Cartesian coordinates are named for René Descartes, whose invention of them in the 17th century revolutionized ...

  5. Analytic geometry - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytic_geometry

    In mathematics, analytic geometry, also known as coordinate geometry or Cartesian geometry, is the study of geometry using a coordinate system. This contrasts with synthetic geometry. Analytic geometry is used in physics and engineering, and also in aviation, rocketry, space science, and spaceflight. It is the foundation of most modern fields ...

  6. Lagrangian mechanics - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_mechanics

    Lagrangian mechanics describes a mechanical system as a pair (M, L) consisting of a configuration space M and a smooth function within that space called a Lagrangian. For many systems, L = T − V, where T and V are the kinetic and potential energy of the system, respectively. [3]

  7. Polar coordinate system - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_coordinate_system

    In blue, the point (4, 210°). In mathematics, the polar coordinate system is a two-dimensional coordinate system in which each point on a plane is determined by a distance from a reference point and an angle from a reference direction. The reference point (analogous to the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system) is called the pole, and the ...

  8. Kinematics - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinematics

    v. t. e. Kinematics is a subfield of physics and mathematics, developed in classical mechanics, that describes the motion of points, bodies (objects), and systems of bodies (groups of objects) without considering the forces that cause them to move. [1][2][3] Kinematics, as a field of study, is often referred to as the "geometry of motion" and ...

  9. History of longitude - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_longitude

    The history of longitude describes the centuries-long effort by astronomers, cartographers and navigators to discover a means of determining the longitude of any given place on Earth. The measurement of longitude is important to both cartography and navigation. In particular, for safe ocean navigation, knowledge of both latitude and longitude ...