APPROXIMATE TOPOLOGICAL RELATIONS

In spatial data models for various applications, such as geographical information systems (GISs) the importance of topological relations is widely recognized. Topology makes very general statements about the st ructure and the relations of spatial objects. A refinement of topology by means of other geometric aspects can help to bend the various mode ls that have been developed for topological relations towards a more e ffective description of geographic space. The introduction of broad bo undaries is a direction to define approximate topological relations be tween spatial objects. In this paper, approximate topological relation s are destined to capture boundary uncertainty, variations over time, proximity measures, and vector-raster representations. Approximate top ological relations are structured in conceptual neighborhood graphs th at have a twofold interpretation: two neighboring relations are at top ological distance I in terms of the nine-intersection model and can be obtained one from the other, by an elementary continuous deformation. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.