boundarysharing

Boundarysharing is the relationship in which two or more spatial regions meet along a common boundary. It occurs when the boundary of one region contains a segment that coincides with a portion of the boundary of another region. In two dimensions this is commonly seen as neighboring polygons sharing an edge; in three dimensions adjacent volumes share a face, and boundaries can meet along curves or surfaces.

In mathematics, boundary sharing is often discussed in terms of adjacency and topology. Two regions are boundary-adjacent when their boundaries intersect in a way that creates a shared frontier. This concept underpins many constructions in tiling, mesh generation, and spatial partitioning, where coherent contact between neighboring elements is required for consistency.

Applications and domains

- Cartography and cadastral surveying rely on clear boundary sharing to delineate political borders and property lines. Consistent shared boundaries prevent gaps or overlaps in map data and land records.

- Urban planning and geographic information systems depend on accurate boundary sharing to model adjacency, zoning, and infrastructure networks.

- Computer graphics and finite element analysis require well-defined boundary sharing between mesh elements to ensure proper rendering, simulation accuracy, and numerical stability. Non-manifold or inconsistent boundaries can lead to errors.

- In biology and materials science, boundary sharing describes interfaces between cells or grains, influencing properties such as tissue organization or material strength.

Challenges and methods

Common issues include boundary ambiguity, data gaps, and topological inconsistencies. Detecting and repairing boundary sharing often involves spatial queries, topology rules, and data validation within GIS, CAD, or mesh-processing tools. See also adjacency, tiling, and boundary.