polar coordinates

polar coordinates

noun Mathematics.
a system of coordinates for locating a point in a plane by the length of its radius vector and the angle this vector makes with the polar axis (polar angle).

Origin:
1810–20
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Polar coordinates is always a great word to know.
So is value. Does it mean:
quantity; number represented by a figure or symbol, a point in the range of a function
the third power of a quantity such as a cubed = a?a?a
Collins
World English Dictionary
polar coordinates
 
pl n
Cartesian coordinates See also spherical coordinates 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)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

polar coordinates

system of locating points in a plane with reference to a fixed point (origin) and an axis through that point. The coordinates are written (r,theta), in which r is the distance from the origin to any desired point and theta is the angle made by the vector r and the axis. A simple relationship exists between Cartesian coordinates given in terms of two reference axes (x,y) and the polar coordinates (r,theta), namely: x = r cos theta, and y = r sin theta

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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