Temporal GIS: Advanced Functions for Field-Based Applications

by George Christakos, Patrick Bogaert, Marc Serre

Overview

The book focuses on the development of advanced functions for field-based temporal geographical information systems (TGIS). These fields describe natural, epidemiological, economical, and social phenomena distributed across space and time. The book is organized around four main themes: "Concepts, mathematical tools, computer programs, and applications".

Chapters I and II review the conceptual framework of the modern TGIS and introduce the fundamental ideas of spatiotemporal modelling. Chapter III discusses issues of knowledge synthesis and integration. Chapter IV presents state-of-the-art mathematical tools of spatiotemporal mapping. Links between existing TGIS techniques and the modern Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) method offer significant improvements in the advanced TGIS functions. Comparisons are made between the proposed functions and various other techniques (e.g., Kriging, and Kalman-Bucy filters). Chapter V analyzes the interpretive features of the advanced TGIS functions, establishing correspondence between the natural system and the formal mathematics which describe it. In Chapters IV and V one can also find interesting extensions of TGIS functions (e.g., non-Bayesian connectives and Fisher information measures). Chapters VI and VII familiarize the reader with the TGIS toolbox and the associated library of comprehensive computer programs. Chapter VIII discusses important applications of TGIS in the context of scientific hypothesis testing, explanation, and decision making.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783642625633
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	04/19/2013
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2001
Pages:	219
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

1 A BME View to the New Realities of TGIS.- 1.1 Introducing a Temporal Geographical Information System (TGIS).- 1.2 Field-Based TGIS.- 1.3 TGIS Functions.- 1.4 Novel Contribution to TGIS.- 1.5 Concluding Remarks.- 2 Spatiotemporal Modelling.- 2.1 Spatiotemporal Continuum.- 2.2 The Random Field Model.- 2.3 The Role of Metaphors in TGIS.- 2.4 The Importance of Physical Geometry.- 2.5 Synopsis.- 3 Knowledge Bases Integration.- 3.1 Integrating Knowledge Bases (KB) into TGIS.- 3.2 General KB and the Associated Physical Constraints.- 3.3 Specificatory KB.- 3.4 Accommodating Knowledge Needs.- 4 Spatiotemporal Mapping.- 4.1 A Formulation of the Spatiotemporal Mapping Problem.- 4.2 Formal BME Analysis and Mapping.- 4.3 Other Mapping Techniques.- 4.4 Concluding Remarks.- 5 Interpretive BME.- 5.1 Interpretive Issues.- 5.2 An Epistemic Analysis of the BME Approach.- 5.3 Non-Bayesian Conditionalization.- 5.4 By Way of a Summary.- 6 The BME Toolbox In Action.- 6.1 The Fundamental KB Operators.- 6.2 Step-by-Step BME.- 6.3 Analytic and Synthetic Case-Studies.- 6.4 Quantifying the Mapping Efficiency of Soft Data.- 6.5 Numerical Investigations of Popular Techniques.- 6.6 Merging Maps with BME.- 6.7 Synopsis.- 7 The BME Computer Library.- 7.1 Computational BME Analysis and the BMEIib.- 7.2 Getting Started.- 7.3 The iolib Directory.- 7.4 The graphlib Directory.- 7.5 The modelslib Directory.- 7.6 The statlib Directory.- 7.7 The bmeprobalib Directory.- 7.8 The bmeintlib Directory.- 7.9 The bmehrlib Directory.- 7.10 Simulations.- 7.11 The genlib Directory.- 7.12 The mvnlib Directory.- 7.13 BMEIib Tutorials, Examples, and Tests.- 8 Scientific Hypothesis Testing, Explanation, and Decision Making.- 8.1 On Scientific Methodology.- 8.2 Hypothesis Testing.- 8.3 Scientific Explanation.- 8.4 Geographotemporal Decision Making.- 8.5 Prelude.- References.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"I did enjoy reading this book. The authors presented information in an easily readable style and a generally logical format. … this book would provide a workable basis and valuable doorway to the world of advanced TGIS." (Kerryn Robinson, The Australian Geologist, Issue 126, 2003)

"This is an attractive production from Springer … . there is a useful section of references and an index. Concepts are clearly and cleverly interwoven with practical examples. The diagrams support the text and are clear on their own account. The text seems clearly written and carefully prepared. An instructor looking for a fresh approach to teaching statistical modelling to students in a variety of disciplines might find this book a delightful choice!" (Sandra L. Arlinghaus, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2002 k)

From the Publisher