Geographic Databases And Information Systems

The aim of this textbook is to present Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from a technological perspective. Emphasis is given to the core of these systems, which is the Geographic Database (GDB) along with the corresponding Database Management System (GDBMS). These two components are largely responsible for the performance and efficiency of a GIS. The fundamental methods and algorithms to analyze the geographic data are also at the heart of the debate.

Web services, cloud computing, location based services, NoSQLdatabases, and Semantic Web offer new ways of accessing, analyzing, and elaborating geo-spatial information in both real-world and virtual spaces. This book explores the how-to of the most promising recurrent technologies and trends in GIS, such as Semantic GIS, Web GIS, Mobile GIS, NoSQL

The authors explore and explain current techniques for handling the specialised data that describes geographical phenomena in a study that will be of great value to computer scientists and geographers working with spatial databases.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been experiencing a steady and unprecedented growth in terms of general interest, theory development, and new applications in the last decade or so. GIS is an inter-disciplinary field that brings together many diverse areas such as computer science, geography, cartography, engineering, and urban planning. Database Issues in Geographic Information Systems approaches several important topics in GIS from a database perspective. Database management has a central role to play in most computer-based information systems, and is expected to have an equally important role to play in managing information in GIS as well. Existing database technology, however, focuses on the alphanumeric data that are required in business applications. GIS, like many other application areas, requires the ability to handle spatial as well as alphanumeric data. This requires new innovations in data management, which is the central theme of this monograph. The monograph begins with an overview of different application areas and their data and functional requirements. Next it addresses the following topics in the context of GIS: representation and manipulation of spatial data, data modeling, indexing, and query processing. Future research directions are outlined in each of the above topics. The last chapter discusses issues that are emerging as important areas of technological innovations in GIS. Database Issues in Geographic Information Systems is suitable as a secondary text for a graduate level course on Geographic Information Systems, Database Systems or Cartography, and as a reference for researchers and practitioners in industry.

This book contains state-of-the-art research studies on the concepts, theory, processes, and real world applications of geographical information systems (GIS) in business. Its chapters are authored by many of the leading experts in applying GIS and geospatial science to business. The book utilizes a wide variety of approaches and methodologies including conceptual theory development, research frameworks, quantitative and qualitative methods, case studies, systems design, DSS theory, and geospatial analysis combined with point-of-sale. Since relatively little research has been published on GIS in business, this book is pioneering and should be the principal compendium of the latest research in this area. The book impacts not only the underlying definitions, concepts, and theories of GIS in business and industry, but its practice as well.

Web services, cloud computing, location based services, NoSQLdatabases, and Semantic Web offer new ways of accessing, analyzing, and elaborating geo-spatial information in both real-world and virtual spaces. This book explores the how-to of the most promising recurrent technologies and trends in GIS, such as Semantic GIS, Web GIS, Mobile GIS, NoSQL Geographic Databases, Cloud GIS, Spatial Data Warehousing-OLAP, and Open GIS. The text discusses and emphasizes the methodological aspects of such technologies and their applications in GIS.