JMU
Coordinate Systems for the Plane
An Introduction


Prof. David Bernstein
James Madison University

Computer Science Department
bernstdh@jmu.edu


Getting Started
Rectangular/Cartesian Coordinates
Visualizing Rectangular/Cartesian Coordinates

The Plane

images/cartesian-coordinates.gif
Visualizing Rectangular/Cartesian Coordinates (cont.)

A Discretization

images/cartesian-coordinates_discretization.gif
Visualizing Rectangular/Cartesian Coordinates (cont.)

Nerd Humor

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/coordinate_plane_closure.png
(Courtesy of xkcd)
Polar Coordinates for the Plane
Visualizing Polar Coordinates

The Plane

images/polar-coordinates.gif
Visualizing Polar Coordinates (cont.)

A Discretization

images/polar-coordinates_discretization.gif
Converting between Polar and Cartesian Coordinates

Notation

images/cartesian-to-polar.gif
Converting from Polar to Cartesian
Converting from Cartesian to Polar