Origin (mathematics) - Definition and Overview

In mathematics, the origin of a coordinate system is the point where the axes of the system intersect.

The most common systems are two-dimensional (contained in a plane) and three-dimensional (contained in a space) Euclidean systems, having two and three perpendicular axes, respectively. The origin divides each of these axes into two halves, a positive side and a negative side. Points can then be located with reference to the origin by giving their numerical coordinates -- that is, their positions along each axis either in the positive or negative direction. The coordinates of the origin are always all zero, for example (0,0) in two dimensions and (0,0,0) in three.