Quadtree
/ˈkwɑːd.triː/noun
A tree data structure that recursively divides a two-dimensional space into four regions.
Did you know?Quadtrees became especially important in computer graphics and geographic information systems because recursively dividing space can make searching enormous visual landscapes dramatically faster.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷetwóres
“Four”
Classical Latin
Latin
quattuor
“Four”
Medieval Latin
Latin
quadrus
“Square or four-sided”
17th Century
English
quad-
“A combining form meaning four, from Latin quadr- and related forms”
Old English
English
trēow
“Tree; a woody plant, and figuratively a branching structure”
20th Century
English
quadtree
“A computer-science term for a tree structure whose nodes divide a plane into four regions”
Explore more surprising origins