Area-preserving simplification of polygon features

Barry J. Kronenfeld; Larry V. Stanislawski; Tyler Brockmeyer; Barbara P. Buttenfield

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USGS · 70198736

Area-preserving simplification of polygon features

Barry J. Kronenfeld·Larry V. Stanislawski·Tyler Brockmeyer·Barbara P. Buttenfield

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Abstract

Developing simplified representations of a two-dimensional polyline is an important problem in cartographic data analytics where datasets must be integrated across spatial resolutions. This problem is generally referred to as line simplification, and is increasingly driven by preservation of specific analytic properties such as positional accuracy and high-frequency detail. However, the distinction between linear features and polygon boundaries is rarely considered. Polygonal features differ fundamentally from linear features in that they represent areal regions covering a portion of the earth's surface. As such, they lend themselves naturally to the objective of preserving area across scale.

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Barry J. Kronenfeld, Larry V. Stanislawski, Tyler Brockmeyer, Barbara P. Buttenfield. 2018. Area-preserving simplification of polygon features. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70198736

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