Rene Descartes, born in 1596, was known as The Father of Modern Mathematics. Descartes' love of mathematics was part of his everyday life. One night when he was lying in bed having trouble falling asleep, he noticed a fly walking around the ceiling. He thought to himself, "How can I describe where that fly is on my ceiling?" Descartes decided that if he specified the shortest distance from two perpendicular walls, he could exactly describe the fly's position. That night the Cartesian coordinates were born.

Cartesian coordinates are an integral part of modern mathematics. Whether two dimensional, three dimensional, or even four dimensional, the power of Cartesian coordinates can be seen in countless applications.

The X·Y Chart System™ incorporates the Cartesian coordinates with the intent to give students an introduction to the convenience and conventions of the Cartesian system.