A Comparison Of Simple Mathematical Approaches To The Placement Of Spot Symbols

Abstract

Cartography is both an art and a science. This paper examines an artistic aspect of spot mapping, the placement of spot symbols into choroplethic zones. No simple algorithm for the calculation of aesthetically pleasing centroids exists, yet the findings do suggest that both relative area around the point, as well as its distance from the perimeter are significant. It is hypothesized that centering may be performed in a two-stage procedure. First, the entire polygon is scanned for a general center location. Second, that location is further scanned for an area-weighted center.