Coordinate Geometry

COORDINATE GEOMETRY

Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it. - Rene Descartes

Rene Descartes (AD(CE)1596-1650)

The French Mathematician Rene Descartes (pronounced “DAY- CART”) developed a new branch of Mathematics known as Analytical Geometry or Coordinate Geometry which combined all arithmetic, algebra and geometry of the past ages in a single technique of visualising as points on a graph and equations as geometrical shapes. The fixing of a point position in the plane by assigning two numbers, coordinates, giving its distance from two lines perpendicular to each other, was entirely Descartes’ invention.

Learning Outcomes

• To understand the Cartesian coordinate system.

• To identify the abscissa, ordinate and coordinates of any given point.

• To find the distance between any two points in the Cartesian plane using formula.

• To understand the mid-point formula and use it in problem solving.

• To derive the section formula and apply this in problem solving.

• To understand the centroid formula and to know its applications.