Fundamentals of Spatial Information Systems

The study and application of spatial information systems have been developed primarily from the use of computers in the geosciences. These systems have the principle functions of capturing, storing, representing, manipulating, and displaying data in 2-D and 3-D worlds. This book approaches its subject from the perspectives of informatics and geography, presenting methods of conceptual modeling developed in computer science that provide valuable aids for resolving spatial problems. This book is an essential textbook for both students and practitioners. It is indispensable for academic geographers, computer scientists, and the GIS professional. Key features are: serves as the first comprehensive textbook on the field of Spatial Information Systems (also known as Geographic Information Systems); contains extensive illustrations; and presents numerous detailed examples.

Introduction to the Spatial Context: Geomatics. Introduction to Spatial Information Systems. Needs. Purposes and Types of Spatial Problem. Semantics. Objects, Surfaces, Data. Geometries For Spatial Data: Geometries. Position, Representation, Dimensions. Topology. Graphs, Areas, Ordering. Tessellations. Regular and Irregular Cells, Hierarchies. Manipulations. Interpolations, Geometric Operations, Transformations. Spatial Analysis. Attribute Data, Modelling, Integration. Conceptual Modelling for Spatial Data: Design for Information Systems. Methodologies, Issues. Spaghetti: Conceptual Modelling of Line-Oriented Objects. Pizza: Conceptual Modelling for Areas and Volumes. Spatial Object Modelling. Views, Integration, Complexities. Spatial Data Retrieval and Reasoning: Algebras. Relational and Peano Tuple. Spatial Queries. Types, Algorithms. Access and Quality: Spatial Indices and Integrity Constraints. Hypermedia. Multimedia Spatial Information Systems and Hypermaps. Spatial Knowledge. Intelligent Spatial Information Systems. Afterword. Index.