Elliptic coordinate system

<p>In <a href="/facts/Geometry/wTQf5ffQ">geometry</a>, the elliptic coordinate system is a two-dimensional <a href="/facts/Orthogonal_coordinates/LLoa2lAJ">orthogonal</a> <a href="/facts/Coordinate_system/Mtd0q4SP">coordinate system</a> in which the <a href="/facts/Coordinate_system/Mtd0q4SP">coordinate lines</a> are <a href="/facts/Confocal_conic_sections/sNANGYBF">confocal ellipses and hyperbolae</a>.  The two <a href="/facts/Focus_(geometry)/WFtFnqoa">foci</a> 
  
    
      
        
          F
          
            1
          
        
      
    
    {\displaystyle F_{1}}
  
 and 
  
    
      
        
          F
          
            2
          
        
      
    
    {\displaystyle F_{2}}
  
 are generally taken to be fixed at 
  
    
      
        −
        a
      
    
    {\displaystyle -a}
  
 and 
  
    
      
        +
        a
      
    
    {\displaystyle +a}
  
, respectively, on the 
  
    
      
        x
      
    
    {\displaystyle x}
  
-axis of the <a href="/facts/Cartesian_coordinate_system/lkTqvMmB">Cartesian coordinate system</a>.
</p>

Elliptic coordinate system open-in-new

Elliptic coordinate system