Extending GIS-integrating multiple spaces into a single concept

Abstract:

Spatial representations are used as a structuring concept in a wide range of disciplines, from the natural and engineering sciences to the cognitive and social sciences. However, little attempt has been made to uniformize the terminology or to provide a common spatial framework. With the increasing use of computer implementations of spatial representations, the lack of a common framework serves to inhibit efforts to broaden existing representations such as those used in GIS or to integrate new ones. This paper addresses these issues by proposing an integrative definition of the concept of space, designed to accommodate requirements for spatial representations across a wide range of disciplines. Our concept of space is based on a collection of topological spaces related by two types of relations, which we call polymorphic and hierarchical space-to-space relations, and characterised by the existence of at least one reference space. We further propose an analytical method for identifying the different types of spaces involved in solving a given problem. This method allows us to compare different subspaces and to identify the relative importance of non-geographical spaces in arriving at a solution. We expect to use our concept of space to model the spaces used in a variety of applications, ranging from environmental crises to uncertainty characterisation and cognitive modeling. We also intend to formalize this concept of space and the means of obtaining appropriate representations, and, eventually, data structures for implementation.

Año de publicación:

1998

Keywords:

Fuente:

google