Coordinate system

See Cartesian coordinate system for a more elementary introduction to this topic

In mathematics as applied to geometry, physics or engineering, a coordinate system is a system for assigning an tuple of scalars to each point in an n-dimensional space. "Scalars" in many cases means real numbers, but, depending on context, can mean complex numbers or members of some other field. More generally, co-ordinates may sometimes be taken from rings or other ring-like algebraic structures.

Although any specific coordinate system is useful for numerical calculations in a given space, the space itself is considered to exist independently of any particular choice of coordinates.

Table of contents

1 Examples 2 Transformations 3 Systems commonly used 4 Astronomical systems 4..1 External links

Examples

An example of a coordinate system is to describe a point P in the Euclidean space Rⁿ by an n-tuple P=(r₁,...,r_n) of real numbers r₁,...,r_n.

These numbers r₁,...,r_n are called the coordinates of the point P.

If a subset S of an Euclidean space is mapped continuously onto another topological space, this defines coordinates in the image of S.

Transformations

A coordinate transformation is a conversion from one system to another, to describe the same space.

Some choices of coordinate systems may lead to paradoxes, for example, close to a black hole, but can be understood by changing the choice of coordinate system. At an actual mathematical singularity the coordinate system breaks down.

Systems commonly used

Some coordinate systems are the following:

• The Cartesian coordinate system (also called the "rectangular coordinate system"), which, for three-dimensional flat space, uses three numbers representing distances.
• For any finite-dimensional vector space and any basis, the coefficients of the basis vectors can be used as coordinates. Changing the basis is a coordinate transformation, a linear transformation that can be summarized by a matrix, and is computationally the same as a mapping of points to other points keeping the bases the same: e.g. in 2D:
  • a clockwise rotation is a mapping of points to other points which changes the coordinates the same as keeping the points in place but rotating the coordinate axes anti-clockwise.
  • an expansion by a factor two in the direction of one basis vector is a mapping of points to other points which changes the coordinates the same as keeping the points in place but halving the magnitude of that basis vector (in both cases the corresponding coordinate is doubled).
  • a mapping of points to other points which distorts a rectangle to a parallelogram changes the coordinates the same as keeping the points in place but changing the basis vectors from being two sides of that parallellogram to perpendicular ones, two sides of that rectangle.
• The polar coordinate systems
  • Cylindrical coordinate system represents a point in space by an angle, a distance from the origin and a height.
  • Spherical coordinate system represents a point in space with two angles and a distance from the origin.
    • Geographic coordinate system
• Generalized coordinates are used in the Lagrangian treatment of mechanics

Astronomical systems

• Celestial coordinate system
  • Horizontal coordinate system
  • Equatorial coordinate system - based on Earth rotation
  • Ecliptic coordinate system - based on Solar System rotation
  • Galactic coordinate system - based on Milky Way rotation
• extragalactic coordinate systems
  • supergalactic coordinate system - based on plane of local supercluster of galaxies
  • comoving coordinates - valid to particle horizon
• Binary coordinate system

External links

• Capětal city coordinates