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International Conference on Spatial Information Theory

COSIT 1997: Spatial Information Theory A Theoretical Basis for GIS pp 15–33Cite as

Qualitative representation of change

  • Representation of Change
  • Conference paper
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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1329))

Abstract

Current geographic information systems (GISs) have been designed for querying and maintaining static databases representing static phenomena and give little support to those users who wish to represent dynamic information or incorporate temporality into their studies. In order to integrate phenomena that change over space and time in GISs, a better understanding of the underlying components of change and how people reason about change is needed. This paper focuses on a qualitative representation of change. It offers a classification of change based on object identity and the set of operations that either preserve or change identity. These operations can be applied to single or composite objects and combined to express the semantics of sequences of change. An iconic, visual language is developed to represent the various types of change and applied to examples to illustrate the application of this language. Such a formalization of the basic components of change lays the foundation for a new generation of formal models that captures the semantics of change and leads to improved interoperability between GISs and process models or simulation software.

This work was partially supported by the National Science Foundation for the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis under NSF grant number SBR-8810917. Max Egenhofer's research is further supported through NSF grants SBR-8810917, IRI-9309230, IRI-9613646, SBR-9700465, and BDI-9723873; grants from Rome Laboratory under grant number F30602-95-1-0042 and the National Imagery and Mapping Agency under grant number NMA202-97-1-1023; and a Massive Digital Data Systems contract sponsored by the Advanced Research and Development Committee of the Community Management Staff.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, University of Maine, ME 04469-5711, Orono, USA

    Kathleen Homsby & Max J. Egenhofer

  2. Department of Spatial Information Science and Engineering, University of Maine, ME 04469-5711, Orono, USA

    Kathleen Homsby & Max J. Egenhofer

Authors
  1. Kathleen Homsby
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  2. Max J. Egenhofer
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Stephen C. Hirtle Andrew U. Frank

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© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Homsby, K., Egenhofer, M.J. (1997). Qualitative representation of change. In: Hirtle, S.C., Frank, A.U. (eds) Spatial Information Theory A Theoretical Basis for GIS. COSIT 1997. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1329. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-63623-4_40

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-63623-4_40

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-63623-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69616-2

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