To express a shifted circle in polar coordinates, the equation (x-h)² + (y-k)² = h² + k² requires transformations where x = r cos θ and y = r sin θ. The parameters h and k indicate a shift in the origin, necessitating four parameters to fully describe the circle in either Cartesian or polar coordinates. While the transformations can be applied, the constants h and k simplify the process, making it unnecessary to complicate the conversion. The discussion emphasizes that only two variables are needed to plot a one-dimensional object in a two-dimensional space. Understanding these transformations is crucial for accurately representing the shifted circle in polar coordinates.