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Quadtrees and quadtree spatial spectra in large-scale geographic information systems - the hierarchical handling of spatial data

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6895111

THE DEMAND TO MANIPULATE LARGE VOLUMES OF GEOGRAPHIC DATA IS GROWING. BESIDES CONVENTIONAL MAPS AND STATISTICS, HUGE VOLUMES OF GEOGRAPHIC DATA ARE PRODUCED BY REMOTE SENSING, CONVENTIONAL MAPPING, AND AUTO-CARTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES. SUCH DATA NEED TO BE MANIPULATED EFFICIENTLY IN VERY-LARGE-SCALE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, CURRENT GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS EXHIBIT MAJOR SHORTCOMINGS IN THE EFFICIENT HANDLING OF SPATIAL DATA. THIS DISSERTATION EXPLORES THE USE OF QUADTREES AND QUADTREE SPATIAL SPECTRA TO IMPROVE SPATIAL-DATA-HANDLING EFFICIENCY. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HAS A POTENTIAL TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THE DISADVANTAGES OF PRESENT SPATIAL-DATA-HANDLING METHODS. HOWEVER, THE GAP BETWEEN THE THEORY OF AI AND ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN SPATIAL DATA HANDLING IS STILL VERY WIDE. MANY PREVIOUS EFFORTS IN THIS AREA, INCLUDING CONTEXTUAL AND SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS IN DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING, HAVE SHOWN INTERESTING FUNCTIONS, BUT ALSO HAVE SERIOUS LIMITATIONS FOR APPLICATIONS INVOLVING VERY LARGE SPATIAL DATA FILES. AN APPROXIMATE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION KNOWLEDGE-QUADTREE SPATIAL SPECTRA (QTSS)-IS PROPOSED. IT PROVIDES THE NECESSARY SPATIAL KNOWLEDGE FOR A SPATIAL HEURITIC SEARCH MODULE.

Research Organization:
California Univ., Santa Barbara (USA)
OSTI ID:
6895111
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English