Data Point Plots

2D-plot windows interpret a vector of two numbers as the coordinates of a data point. In rectangular coordinates, the first element of the vector is the x-coordinate of the point and the second is the y-coordinate. In polar coordinates, the first element of the vector is the r-coordinate of the point and the second is the θ-coordinate. See the Set > Coordinate System command162L784 for details.

2D-plot windows plot such vectors as a single point. For example, in rectangular coordinates,

[2, 1]

plots as the point 2 units to the right of y-axis and 1 unit above the x-axis. In polar coordinates, it plots as the point 2 units from origin and 1 radian measured counter-clockwise from the positive x-axis.

2D-plot windows plot a vector of two-dimensional data points (i.e. a data matrix) as a collection of data points. For example, in rectangular coordinates,

[[2, 2], [2, -2], [-2, -2], [-2, 2]]

plots as 4 points in a square centered on the origin. In polar coordinates, it plots as 4 points in a rectangle also centered on the origin.

Use the Options > Display > Points command7CKH0ZT to set the size (small, medium, or large) of data points, and to turn on or off the option to connect successive data points with line segments. For example, in rectangular coordinates, if the option to connect successive data points is on

[[2, 2], [2, -2], [-2, -2], [-2, 2]]

plots as an open box. In polar coordinates, it plots as a Z-shape on its side.

Note that if either or both elements of a two-element vector depend on a single variable, the vector is plotted parametrically (for details, see Parametric PlotsParametric_Plots). If either or both elements of a two-element vector depend on more than one variable, each element of the vector is plotted separately (for details, see Multiple PlotsMultiple_Plots).

Simplifying an expression of the form TABLE(u, x, a, b, s) generates a data matrix for the univariate expression u depending on x, as x goes from a to b in steps of size s (for details, see the Calculus > Table commandTX0JH_). For example,

TABLE(x!, x, 0, 5)

simplifies to a data matrix of factorials.