<P> The invention of Cartesian coordinates in the 17th century by René Descartes ( Latinized name : Cartesius ) revolutionized mathematics by providing the first systematic link between Euclidean geometry and algebra . Using the Cartesian coordinate system , geometric shapes ( such as curves ) can be described by Cartesian equations : algebraic equations involving the coordinates of the points lying on the shape . For example , a circle of radius 2 , centered at the origin of the plane , may be described as the set of all points whose coordinates x and y satisfy the equation x + y = 4 . </P>
<P> The invention of Cartesian coordinates in the 17th century by René Descartes ( Latinized name : Cartesius ) revolutionized mathematics by providing the first systematic link between Euclidean geometry and algebra . Using the Cartesian coordinate system , geometric shapes ( such as curves ) can be described by Cartesian equations : algebraic equations involving the coordinates of the points lying on the shape . For example , a circle of radius 2 , centered at the origin of the plane , may be described as the set of all points whose coordinates x and y satisfy the equation x + y = 4 . </P>
who is credited with developing the xy coordinate plane
who is credited with developing the xy coordinate plane
René Descartes
René Descartes