Boundary problem (in spatial analysis)

A boundary problem in spatial analysis is when two things are close to each other but their 'border' gives the impression that they're not connected. This can happen when looking at different maps or charts that have been split up into different sections or 'zones'. For example, if you had a map of a city divided into different neighbourhoods, you might have a boundary problem if the lines that separate each neighbourhood are too far apart and it looks like they are not close to one another.