Change of Coordinate Systems
From Math Images
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
|Image=Coordchange.JPG | |Image=Coordchange.JPG | ||
|ImageIntro=The same object, here a circle, can look completely different depending on which coordinate system is used. | |ImageIntro=The same object, here a circle, can look completely different depending on which coordinate system is used. | ||
| - | |ImageDescElem=It is a common practice in mathematics to use different coordinate systems to solve different problems. | + | |ImageDescElem=It is a common practice in mathematics to use different coordinate systems to solve different problems. Suppose we take a set of points in regular x-y '''Cartesian Coordinates''', represented by ordered pairs such as (1,2), then multiply their x-components by two, meaning (1,2) in the old coordinates is matched with (2,2) in the new coordinates. |
| - | + | Under this transformation, a set of points would become stretched in the horizontal x-direction since each point becomes further from the vertical y-axis (except for points originally on the y-axis, which remain on the axis). A set of points that was originally contained by a circle in the old coordinates would be contained by a stretched-out ellipse in the new coordinate system, as shown in this page's main image. | |
| + | Points can even be transferred to a different kind of coordinate system. A common example is mapping rectangular Cartesian Coordinates to '''Polar Coordinates'''. Each point's distance from the origin, R, and angle from the x-axis, <math> \theta </math>, is used as coordinates in the Polar Coordinate system. Thus a disk in Cartesian Coordinates is mapped to a rectangle in Polar Coordinates: Each origin-centered circle consists of points equidistant from the origin with angle from the x-axis ranging from zero to <math> 2\pi </math> radians. Each of these circles is thus mapped a straight line of length <math> 2\pi </math> in Polar Coordinates. Since the distance from the origin of these circles ranges from zero to the radius of the disk, a set of lines is created in Polar Coordinates which together form a rectangle. | ||
|ImageDesc=Points in one space are undergo a transformation of some kind to be mapped to a points in another space. | |ImageDesc=Points in one space are undergo a transformation of some kind to be mapped to a points in another space. | ||
|AuthorName=Brendan John | |AuthorName=Brendan John | ||
Revision as of 13:06, 11 June 2009
| Change of Coordinates |
|---|
 |
Change of Coordinates
- The same object, here a circle, can look completely different depending on which coordinate system is used.
Basic Description
It is a common practice in mathematics to use different coordinate systems to solve different problems. Suppose we take a set of points in regular x-y Cartesian Coordinates, represented by ordered pairs such as (1,2), then multiply their x-components by two, meaning (1,2) in the old coordinates is matched with (2,2) in the new coordinates.Under this transformation, a set of points would become stretched in the horizontal x-direction since each point becomes further from the vertical y-axis (except for points originally on the y-axis, which remain on the axis). A set of points that was originally contained by a circle in the old coordinates would be contained by a stretched-out ellipse in the new coordinate system, as shown in this page's main image.
Points can even be transferred to a different kind of coordinate system. A common example is mapping rectangular Cartesian Coordinates to Polar Coordinates. Each point's distance from the origin, R, and angle from the x-axis, 
, is used as coordinates in the Polar Coordinate system. Thus a disk in Cartesian Coordinates is mapped to a rectangle in Polar Coordinates: Each origin-centered circle consists of points equidistant from the origin with angle from the x-axis ranging from zero to 
radians. Each of these circles is thus mapped a straight line of length in Polar Coordinates. Since the distance from the origin of these circles ranges from zero to the radius of the disk, a set of lines is created in Polar Coordinates which together form a rectangle.
A More Mathematical Explanation
Points in one space are undergo a transformation of some kind to be mapped to a points in another spa [...]
Points in one space are undergo a transformation of some kind to be mapped to a points in another space.
Teaching Materials
- There are currently no teaching materials for this page. Add teaching materials.
Leave a message on the discussion page by clicking the 'discussion' tab at the top of this image page.
