This tutorial survey brings together two lines of research and development whose interaction promises to have significant practical impact on the area of spatial information processing in the near future: geographic information systems (GIS) and geometric computation or, more particularly, geometric algorithms and spatial data structures. In nine uniformly structured and coherent chapters, the authors present a unique survey ranging from the history and basic characteristics to current issues of precision and robustness of geometric computing. This textbook is ideally suited for advanced courses on GIS and applied geometric algorithms. Research and design professionals active in the area will find it valuable as a state-of-the-art survey.
This state-of-the-art tutorial brings together current research and development on Geographic Information Systems. In nine chapters, the authors present a unique survey, ranging from the history and basic characteristics, to current issues of precision and robustness of geometric computing.
With the widespread use of GIS, multi-scale representation has become an important issue in the realm of spatial data handling. However, no book to date has systematically tackled the different aspects of this discipline. Emphasizing map generalization, Algorithmic Foundation of Multi-Scale Spatial Representation addresses the mathematical basis of
Geographic information systems (GIS) have become increasingly important in helping us understand complex social, economic, and natural dynamics where spatial components play a key role. The critical algorithms used in GIS, however, are notoriously difficult to both teach and understand, in part due to the lack of a coherent representation. GIS Algorithms attempts to address this problem by combining rigorous formal language with example case studies and student exercises. Using Python code throughout, Xiao breaks the subject down into three fundamental areas: Geometric Algorithms Spatial Indexing Spatial Analysis and Modelling With its comprehensive coverage of the many algorithms involved, GIS Algorithms is a key new textbook in this complex and critical area of geography.
With GIS technology increasingly available to a wider audience on devices from apps on smartphones to satnavs in cars, many people routinely use spatial data in a way which used to be the preserve of GIS specialists. However spatial data is stored and analyzed on a computer still tends to be described in academic texts and articles which require specialist knowledge or some training in computer science. Developed to introduce computer science literature to geography students, GIS Fundamentals, Second Edition provides an accessible examination of the underlying principles for anyone with no formal training in computer science. See What’s New in the Second Edition: Coverage of the use of spatial data on the Internet Chapters on databases and on searching large databases for spatial queries Improved coverage on route-finding Improved coverage of heuristic approaches to solving real-world spatial problems International standards for spatial data The book begins with a brief but detailed introduction to how computers work and how they are programmed, giving anyone with no previous computer science background a foundation to understand the remainder of the book. As with all parts of the book there are also suggestions for further sources of reading. The book then describes the ways in which vector and raster data can be stored and how algorithms are designed to perform fundamental operations such as detecting where lines intersect. From these simple beginnings the book moves into the more complex structures used for handling surfaces and networks and contains a detailed account of what it takes to determine the shortest route between two places on a network. The final sections of the book review problems, such as the "Travelling Salesman" problem, which are so complex that it is not known whether an optimum solution exists. Using clear, concise language, but without sacrificing technical rigour, the book gives readers an understanding of what it takes to produce systems which allow them to find out where to make their next purchase and how to drive to the right place to collect it.
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are computer systems for storing, displaying and analyzing spatial data. The past twenty years have seen a rapid growth in their use in government, commerce and academia, and they can be used for managing a network of utilities, from handling census data through to planning the location of a new supermarket. But how do they work? Stephen Wise has been a regular contributor to GeoEurope and his 'Back to Basics' articles have provided a clear and simple introduction to the inner workings of GIS for a non-specialist audience. He now presents the original articles with new material and provides a new coverage of both major types of GIS: vector and raster systems. Undergraduates and professionals who wish to improve their knowledge of GIS should get a better understanding of how GIS operate in the way that they do, such as how spatial data is stored on a computer, how the different methods affect the capabilities of the GIS, how basic operations performed and how the choice of algorithm affects the speed of the system.
Geographic Information Systems: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a collection of knowledge on the latest advancements and research of geographic information systems. This book aims to be useful for academics and practitioners involved in geographical data.
As the use of geographical information systems develops apace, a significant strand of research activity is being directed to the fundamental nature of geographic information. This volume contains a collection of essays and discussions on this theme. What is geographic information? What fundamental principles are associated with it? How can
The past 20 years can be regarded as the adolescence of geographic information science (GIS), as it grew from a burgeoning area of study into a mature and thriving field. During those two decades, the International Journal of Geographic Information Science (formerly Systems) (IJGIS) was one of the most prominent academic guiding forces in GIScience
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Algorithms and Data Structures, WADS 2007, held in Halifax, Canada, in August 2007. The papers present original research on the theory and application of algorithms and data structures in all areas, including combinatorics, computational geometry, databases, graphics, parallel and distributed computing.
