A coordinate system is a method used to uniquely identify points in a space using numbers. The most common type is the Cartesian coordinate system, which uses two or three perpendicular axes (x, y, and z) to define a point's location. Each point is represented by an ordered pair or triplet of numbers, indicating its distance from the axes. Another type is the polar coordinate system, which uses a distance and an angle to specify a point's position. In this system, a point is defined by its distance from a central point (the origin) and the angle from a reference direction. Coordinate systems are essential in fields like mathematics, physics, and engineering for analyzing and visualizing spatial relationships.