Study GuideLinear Algebra–Vector Algebra1.The Space (R2)1.Understanding the Coordinate PlaneWhen you think about the usualx–y plane, you’re really thinking about something called(R2)(read as“R two”).Let’s break that down in asimple way.The x–y plane is made up ofall possible ordered pairs of real numbers:Each pair representsone pointin the plane.To visualize this, imagine:•Onehorizontal number line(the x-axis)•Onevertical number line(the y-axis)These two lines cross at their starting point, called theorigin (0, 0). Together, they form thecoordinate axes.How Coordinates WorkIf you are given a point(x1, x2):•Thefirst coordinate (x1)tells you how far to moveleft or right(horizontal movement).•Thesecond coordinate (x2)tells you how far to moveup or down(vertical movement).Order matters!The point (x1, x2) is usuallydifferentfrom(x2, x1).That’s why we call themordered pairs.Preview Mode
This document has 79 pages. Sign in to access the full document!