Editing Rotation matrix (section)

===Non-standard orientation of the coordinate system===

[[File:Clockwise rotation.png|thumb|A rotation through angle {{mvar|θ}} with non-standard axes.]]
If a standard [[Orientation (mathematics)|right-handed]] [[Cartesian coordinate system]] is used, with the {{nowrap|{{mvar|x}}-axis}} to the right and the {{nowrap|{{mvar|y}}-axis}} up, the rotation {{math|''R''(''θ'')}} is counterclockwise. If a left-handed Cartesian coordinate system is used, with  {{mvar|x}} directed to the right but {{mvar|y}} directed down, {{math|''R''(''θ'')}} is clockwise. Such non-standard orientations are rarely used in mathematics but are common in [[2D computer graphics]], which often have the origin in the top left corner and the {{nowrap|{{mvar|y}}-axis}} down the screen or page.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG/coords.html#InitialCoordinateSystem |title=Scalable Vector Graphics – the initial coordinate system |author=W3C recommendation |year=2003 }}</ref>

See [[#Ambiguities|below]] for other alternative conventions which may change the sense of the rotation produced by a rotation matrix.