If you simply want to reduce the number of points, use a decimation procedure. For example if you want to eliminate half the points, sort the points on the x or y axis and throw out the odd numbered points, keeping the even points.

If your goal is to somehow approximate the curve that these points lie upon, you want to do some sort of regression, that is, create a statistical model of the process generating the points and fit the parameters of the model. An example module that would do this in the linear case is Statistics::Regression. From the synopsis: 

use Statistics::Regression;

  # Create regression object
  my $reg = Statistics::Regression->new( 
    3, "sample regression", 
    [ "const", "someX", "someY" ] 
  );

  # Add data points
  $reg->include( 2.0, [ 1.0, 3.0, -1.0 ] );
  $reg->include( 1.0, [ 1.0, 5.0, 2.0 ] );
  $reg->include( 20.0, [ 1.0, 31.0, 0.0 ] );
  $reg->include( 15.0, [ 1.0, 11.0, 2.0 ] );

  # Print the result
  $reg->print(); 

  # Prints the following:
  # ****************************************************************
  # Regression 'sample regression'
  # ****************************************************************
  # Theta[0='const']=       0.2950
  # Theta[1='someX']=       0.6723
  # Theta[2='someY']=       1.0688
  # R^2= 0.808, N= 4
  # ****************************************************************

  # Or, to get the values of the coefficients and R^2
  my @theta = $reg->theta;
  my $rsq   = $reg->rsq;

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-Mark

In reply to Re: Module/Algorithm to reduce data points? by kvale
in thread Module/Algorithm to reduce data points? by saintmike

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