Visvalingam–Whyatt algorithm

The Visvalingam–Whyatt algorithm, or simply the Visvalingam algorithm, is an algorithm that decimates a curve composed of line segments to a similar curve with fewer points, primarily for usage in cartographic generalisation.

Given a polygonal chain (often called a polyline), the algorithm attempts to find a similar chain composed of fewer points.

In Visvalingam's algorithm, the importance is related to the triangular area added by each point.

, the importance of each interior point is computed by finding the area of the triangle formed by it and its immediate neighbors.

[1] Alternatively, the equivalent formula below can be used[2] The minimum importance point

Alternative algorithms for line simplification include: