Database Issues In Geographic Information Systems

Geographic Information Systems GIS have been experiencing a steady andunprecedented growth in terms of general interest theory development and newapplications i... » 

Geographic Information Systems GIS have been experiencing a steady andunprecedented growth in terms of general interest theory development and newapplications in the last decade or so. GIS is an interdisciplinary field thatbrings together many diverse areas such as computer science geographycartography engineering and urban planning. br emDatabase Issues inGeographic Information Systemsem approaches several important topics in GISfrom a database perspective. Database management has a central role to play inmost computerbased information systems and is expected to have an equallyimportant role to play in managing information in GIS as well. Existingdatabase technology however focuses on the alphanumeric data that arerequired in business applications. GIS like many other application areasrequires the ability to handle spatial as well as alphanumeric data. Thisrequires new innovations in data management which is the central theme of thismonograph. The monograph begins with an overview of different application areasand their data and functional requirements. Next it addresses the followingtopics in the context of GIS representation and manipulation of spatial datadata modeling indexing and query processing. Future research directions areoutlined in each of the above topics. The last chapter discusses issues thatare emerging as important areas of technological innovations in GIS. bremDatabase Issues in Geographic Information Systemsem is suitable as asecondary text for a graduate level course on Geographic Information SystemsDatabase Systems or Cartography and as a reference for researchers andpractitioners in industry. «