[postgis-users] Center of Points Collection

[Simon Greener]

What would happen if you calculated the median of the x and y ordinates instead of the average?

WITH points As
(
SELECT st_collect(column1) as the_geom
   FROM (values ('POINT(0 0)'),
                ('POINT(0 1)'),
                ('POINT(0 2)'),
                ('POINT(1 0)')) as foo
)
SELECT astext(st_makepoint(avg(x),avg(y)))
   FROM ( SELECT st_x(geom) as x, st_y(geom) as y
            FROM (select (ST_Dump(the_geom)).geom as geom from points as foo) as p
           ORDER by st_x(geom) ASC, st_y(geom) ASC
           LIMIT (select case when mod(ST_NumGeometries(the_geom),2) = 0 then 1 else 2 end from points)
           OFFSET (select case when mod(ST_NumGeometries(the_geom),2) = 0 then ST_NumGeometries(the_geom)/2-1 else (ST_NumGeometries(the_geom)-1)/2 end from points)
         ) T;
-- where p=1 and n=N/2-1 when the number of non null rows N is even, or p=2 and n=(N-1)/2 when N is odd.

"POINT(0 1)"

See http://scorreiait.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/how-to-compute-a-median-in-sql

S
On Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:25:29 +1000, Chris Hermansen <chris.hermansen at timberline.ca> wrote:

> Hmm on further thought I'm not completely clear on the definition of
> "median" in two dimensions, either.  I found this interesting article on
> Google, including a way cool Java app for calculating and graphing:
>
> http://www.tiac.net/~sw/2007/11/2D_median/index.html
>
> pcreso at pcreso.com wrote:
>> Hi guys,
>>
>> A bit more difficult, & way out in left field, but if you use PL/R to create a median function for Postgres, you could build your point from the median(X) & (Y) values instead of the average.
>>
>> Where this would actually lie obviously depends on the distribution of the points. The centroid is most affected by (actually defined by) outlying points, the avg somewhat less & the median less still.
>>
>> Of course once you have PL/R to play with, you have much more flexibility to look at returning statistics from datasets than just the median.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>>   Brent Wood
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --- On Tue, 9/15/09, Kevin Neufeld <kneufeld at refractions.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> From: Kevin Neufeld <kneufeld at refractions.net>
>>> Subject: Re: [postgis-users] Center of Points Collection
>>> To: "PostGIS Users Discussion" <postgis-users at postgis.refractions.net>
>>> Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2009, 8:51 AM
>>> Paul Ramsey wrote:
>>>
>>>> Faster than creating a multipoint is to recognize that
>>>>
>>> ST_Centroid()
>>>
>>>> is just going to return the center of the bbox of the
>>>>
>>> collection
>>>
>>>> anyways...
>>>>
>>> Unfortunately, Paul, ST_Centroid returns the center of
>>> mass, not the center of the bbox.
>>>
>>> SELECT astext(st_centroid(st_collect(column1))),
>>> FROM (values ('POINT(0 0)'),
>>>
>>>    ('POINT(0 1)'),
>>>
>>>    ('POINT(0 2)'),
>>>
>>>    ('POINT(1 0)')) as foo;
>>>       astext
>>> ------------------
>>>  POINT(0.25 0.75)
>>> (1 row)
>>>
>>> Your second post, taking the avg of the x,y does seem to be
>>> the nice approach, and produces the same results as
>>> ST_Centroid - the center of mass.
>>>
>>> SELECT astext(st_makepoint(avg(st_x(column1)),
>>> avg(st_y(column1))))
>>> FROM (values ('POINT(0 0)'),
>>>
>>>    ('POINT(0 1)'),
>>>
>>>    ('POINT(0 2)'),
>>>
>>>    ('POINT(1 0)')) as foo;
>>>       astext
>>> ------------------
>>>  POINT(0.25 0.75)
>>> (1 row)
>>>
>>> If Dustin is after the center of the collection, then
>>> something along your first suggestion might be more
>>> appropriate.
>>> (taking the center of the extents)
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Kevin
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> postgis-users mailing list
>>> postgis-users at postgis.refractions.net
>>> http://postgis.refractions.net/mailman/listinfo/postgis-users
>>>
>>>
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>>
>
>


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