  As an important practice of map generalization, the aim of line
simplification is to reduce the number of points without destroying the
essential shape or the salient character of a cartographic curve. This subject
has been well-studied in the literature. This entry attempts to introduce how
line simplification can be guided by fractal geometry, or the recurring scaling
pattern of far more small things than large ones. The line simplification
process involves nothing more than removing small things while retaining large
ones based on head/tail breaks.
