| An abundance of literature exists that examines how organizations use GIS to solve problems, but until now there has been very little instructional material that details how the software performs these operations. GIS Basics introduces many of the main ideas and issues in the design of GIS, focusing on the technical issues relating to the inner workings of these systems. This textbook provides undergraduates with an introduction to supporting concepts in computer science, making much of the GIS literature much more accessible. Based upon a series of articles that explained in simple language how computer science fundamentals apply to GIS, the text begins by considering the data structures and algorithms used to handle vector data. It then explores the way in which efficiency is addressed in practice, and describes the data structures and algorithms used for raster data. The text continues by discussing how large spatial databases can be indexed so that individual features can be accessed efficiently. The final chapters investigate geographical phenomena which can be modeled using both vector and raster, and compares the algorithms which are used in each case. About the Author Stephen Wise became a lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of Sheffield in 1990. He teaches GIS at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His research interests include the study of error propagation in digital terrain models, the development of spatial analysis facilities in GIS, and the use of image processing techniques to capture data from scanned maps. |
