# ST\$1Buffer


ST\$1Buffer returns 2D geometry that represents all points whose distance from the input geometry projected on the xy-Cartesian plane is less than or equal to the input distance.

**Syntax**

```
ST_Buffer(geom, distance, number_of_segments_per_quarter_circle)
```

**Arguments**
+ `geom` - A value of data type GEOMETRY or an expression that evaluates to a GEOMETRY type.
+ `distance` - A value of data type DOUBLE PRECISION that represents distance (or radius) of the buffer.
+ `number_of_segments_per_quarter_circle` - A value of data type INTEGER (should be larger or equal to 0). This value determines the number of points to approximate a quarter circle around each vertex of the input geometry. Negative values default to zero. The default is 8.

**Return type**

GEOMETRY

The ST\$1Buffer function returns two-dimensional (2D) geometry in the xy-Cartesian plane.

**Examples**

```
RETURN ST_Buffer(ST_GeomFromText('LINESTRING (1 2,5 2,5 8)'), 2, 4);
POLYGON ((3 4, 3 8, 3.1522409349774265 8.76536686473018,
         3.585786437626905 9.414213562373096, 4.234633135269821 9.847759065022574,
         5 10, 5.765366864730179 9.847759065022574,
         6.414213562373095 9.414213562373096, 6.847759065022574 8.76536686473018,
         7 8, 7 2, 6.847759065022574 1.2346331352698203,
         6.414213562373095 0.5857864376269051, 5.765366864730179 0.1522409349774265,
         5 0, 1 0, 0.2346331352698193 0.152240934977427,
         -0.4142135623730954 0.5857864376269051,
         -0.8477590650225737 1.2346331352698208, -1 2.0000000000000004,
         -0.8477590650225735 2.7653668647301797,
         -0.4142135623730949 3.414213562373095,
         0.2346331352698206 3.8477590650225735, 1 4, 3 4))
```

The following returns the buffer of the input point geometry which approximates a circle. Because the command specifies 3 as the number of segments per quarter circle, the function uses three segments to approximate the quarter circle.

```
RETURN ST_Buffer(ST_GeomFromText('POINT (1 1)'), 1.0, 8));
POLYGON ((2 1, 1.9807852804032304 0.8049096779838718,
     1.9238795325112867 0.6173165676349102, 1.8314696123025453 0.4444297669803978,
     1.7071067811865475 0.2928932188134525, 1.5555702330196022 0.1685303876974548,
     1.3826834323650898 0.0761204674887133, 1.1950903220161284 0.0192147195967696,
     1 0, 0.8049096779838718 0.0192147195967696, 0.6173165676349103 0.0761204674887133,
    0.444429766980398 0.1685303876974545, 0.2928932188134525 0.2928932188134524,
     0.1685303876974546 0.4444297669803978, 0.0761204674887133 0.6173165676349102,
     0.0192147195967696 0.8049096779838714, 0 0.9999999999999999,
     0.0192147195967696 1.1950903220161284, 0.0761204674887132 1.3826834323650896,
     0.1685303876974545 1.555570233019602, 0.2928932188134523 1.7071067811865475,
     0.4444297669803978 1.8314696123025453, 0.6173165676349097 1.9238795325112865,
     0.8049096779838714 1.9807852804032304, 0.9999999999999998 2,
     1.1950903220161284 1.9807852804032304, 1.38268343236509 1.9238795325112865,
     1.5555702330196017 1.8314696123025453, 1.7071067811865475 1.7071067811865477,
     1.8314696123025453 1.5555702330196022, 1.9238795325112865 1.3826834323650905,
     1.9807852804032304 1.1950903220161286, 2 1))
```