prolate spheroidal coordinate system [¦prō´lāt sfir¦ȯid·ǝl kō`ȯrd·ǝn·ǝt ´sis·tǝm] MATHEMATICS A three-dimensional coordinate system whose coordinate surfaces are the surfaces generated by rotating a plane containing a system of confocal ellipses and hyperbolas about the major axis of the ellipses, together with the planes passing through the axis of rotation. |