Schuurman:

"Generalization is the simplification of map detail as scale decreases"

"Automated or intelligent generalization is conducted in a digital environment with limited operator intervention"

"Confidence in generalization has fallen precipitously since Mark Monmonier announced to the ACSM in 1976 that 'computers can be trained to simulate the trial-and-error searching behavior of a human cartographer'."

ICA:

"The selection and simplified representation of detail appropriate to the scale and purpose of a map"

generalization has no relevance to GIS

scale is undefined in the digital world

Shneiderman: broad overview, zoom to detail

it's about mapping, stupid

generalization of a field is a low pass filter

parametrized by spatial resolution

some representations of fields do not have explicit spatial resolution

irregular points

TIN

polygons

digitized contours

generalization of objects

shrinking symbols

hierarchical concepts

cell, organism, community

density estimation

generalization in the field domain

shoreline

digital landscape model

terrain nominal

specification

primary model is the truth

generalization is information loss

Cartographic generalization

Three data models:

database model

uses one of the standard GIS data models

cartographic model

discrete objects, no topology

visual model

raster, one color per pixel

e.g., point to symbolization to paint