Koordinaate

Koordinaate are ordered numerical values that specify the position of a point in a space relative to a reference system. In mathematics and computer science, the most common form is Cartesian coordinates, typically written as (x, y) in two dimensions and (x, y, z) in three dimensions. Other representations include polar coordinates, which use a radius and angle (r, θ), and cylindrical or spherical coordinates for three-dimensional space.

In geography and earth sciences, geographic coordinates describe a position on the Earth's surface using latitude and longitude, often with an altitude. Latitude and longitude are usually expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds or decimal degrees; for mapping, these coordinates are often converted to projected coordinate systems (for example, the Universal Transverse Mercator, or UTM) to provide planar coordinates on map grids. Coordinates rely on reference frames and datums, such as WGS84 for GPS data; choosing a datum affects exact positioning and may require transformation formulas. Beyond locating points, coordinates underpin spatial analysis, navigation, computer graphics, and simulations, where different coordinate systems are transformed or interpolated as needed.