Cartesian System of Coordinates
- Author:
- Stefan Poka
- Topic:
- Mathematics
A Cartesian coordinate system specifies each point uniquely in a plane by a pair of numerical coordinates.
The axes of a two-dimensional Cartesian system divide the plane into four infinite regions, called quadrants, each bounded by two half-axes.
These are often numbered from 1st to 4th and denoted by Roman numerals: I (where the signs of the two coordinates are (+,+)), II (−,+), III (−,−), and IV (+,−). When the axes are drawn according to the mathematical custom, the numbering goes counter-clockwise starting from the upper right ("northeast") quadrant.