In physics and mathematics,
the dimension of a mathematical space (or object) is informally defined as
the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it.[1][2]
Thus a line has a dimension of one because only one coordinate is needed to specify a point on it ? for example, the point at 5 on a number line.
A surface such as a plane or the surface of a cylinder or sphere has a dimension of two because two coordinates are needed to specify a point on it ? for example, both a latitude and longitude are required to locate a point on the surface of a sphere.
The inside of a cube, a cylinder or a sphere is three-dimensional because three coordinates are needed to locate a point within these spaces.
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