---
id: simplification
version: "1.0.0"
license: BlueOak-1.0.0
license_treatment: unclear
maintenance: active
---

# simplification — Fast linestring simplification using RDP or Visvalingam-Whyatt and a Rust binary

License: unclear · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 336.2K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Simplification is a Python library that reduces the number of points in a LineString while preserving its overall shape using two well-established algorithms: Ramer–Douglas–Peucker (RDP) and Visvalingam-Whyatt (VW). It wraps a Rust binary via FFI and integrates with numpy, accepting both Python lists and numpy arrays as input. The library supports a topology-preserving variant of VW for cases where valid geometry output is critical.

The package is designed for geographic and geometric applications where coordinate reduction is needed—such as map rendering, data compression, or polyline simplification. It offers variants that return either simplified coordinates or the indices of retained points, allowing flexible integration into downstream workflows. Prebuilt wheels cover Python 3.10–3.14 across Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Use it for:

- Reduce map tile complexity by simplifying LineStrings before rendering on web maps or mobile applications.
- Compress GPS traces or trajectory data for storage and transmission while retaining navigable geometry.
- Decimate high-resolution polylines (e.g., from OSRM or Google Maps APIs) to reduce API response size.
- Prepare geographic data for analysis by removing noise-induced coordinate redundancy before spatial operations.
- Validate geometry integrity using the topology-preserving VW variant when simplification must not break polygon/line validity.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Simplify LineStrings using the Ramer–Douglas–Peucker or Visvalingam-Whyatt algorithms, reducing coordinate counts while preserving geometry shape.

Yes, if you work with geographic data or need to reduce coordinate counts in LineStrings. The library is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and offers prebuilt wheels for modern Python versions. Install friction is moderate due to compilation, but binary wheels mitigate this. Verify the Blue Oak Model Licence 1.0.0 compatibility with your project before committing.

## Install

pip install simplification
uv add simplification
poetry add simplification

## Installing simplification

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; prebuilt binaries available for Python 3.10–3.14 on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Active maintenance with recent release (67 days ago) and no known vulnerabilities.

License in practice: Licensed under Blue Oak Model Licence 1.0.0 (BlueOak-1.0.0), a permissive open-source license. License treatment is marked unclear in the package metadata, so verify the license terms directly if commercial use is a concern.

Quickstart:

from simplification.cutil import simplify_coords
import numpy as np

coords = [[0.0, 0.0], [5.0, 4.0], [11.0, 5.5], [17.3, 3.2], [27.8, 0.1]]
simplified = simplify_coords(coords, 1.0)

Requires Python >=3.10; numpy is a runtime dependency.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the Blue Oak Model Licence 1.0.0 is compatible with your project's license requirements (marked 'unclear' in metadata).
- Performance characteristics on your specific data size and complexity (benchmarks in documentation are illustrative, not guaranteed).

## Package facts

- License: BlueOak-1.0.0 (unclear)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 336.2K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

linestring simplification, ramer douglas peucker, visvalingam whyatt, polyline reduction, coordinate decimation, geometry simplification, path simplification, geospatial, geometry-processing, rust-ffi

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