Spatial Mathematics: Theory and Practice through Mapping
| File:Spatial Mathematics.jpg First edition | |
| Author | Sandra Arlinghaus, Joseph Kerski |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Mathematics |
Publication date | 2013 |
Spatial Mathematics: Theory and Practice through Mapping is a book on the mathematics that underlies geographic information systems and spatial analysis. It was written by Sandra Arlinghaus and Joseph Kerski, and published in 2013 by the CRC Press.
Topics
[edit | edit source]The book has 10 chapters, divided into two sections on geodesy and on techniques for visualization of spatial data; each chapter has separate sections on theory and practice.[1] For practical aspects of geographic information systems it uses ArcGIS as its example system.[2]
In the first part of the book, Chapters 1 and 2 covers the geoid, the geographic coordinate system of latitudes and longitudes, and the measurement of distance and location. Chapter 3 concerns data structures for geographic information systems, data formatting based on raster graphics and vector graphics, methods for buffer analysis,[3] and its uses in turning point and line data into area data. Later in the book, but fitting thematically into this part,[1][4] chapter 9 covers map projections.[3]
Moving from geodesy to visualization,[1] chapters 4 and 5 concern the use of color and scale on maps. Chapter 6 concerns the types of data to be visualized, and the types of visualizations that can be made for them. Chapter 7 concerns spatial hierarchies and central place theory, while chapter 8 covers the analysis of spatial distributions in terms of their covariance. Finally, chapter 10 covers network and non-Euclidean data.[1][3]
Additional material on the theoretical concepts behind the topics of the book is provided on a web site, accessed through QR codes included in the book.[1]
Audience and reception
[edit | edit source]Reviewer reactions to the book were mixed. Several reviewers noted that, for a book with "mathematics" in its title, the book was surprisingly non-mathematical, with both Azadeh Mousavi and Paul Harris calling the title "misleading".[1][4] Harris complains that "the maths is treated quite lightly and superficially".[4] Alfred Stein notes the almost total absence of mathematical equations,[2] and Daniel A. Griffith similarly notes the lack of proof of its mathematical claims.[5]
Mousavi also writes that, although the book covers a broad selection of topics, it "suffers from lack of necessary depth" and that it is confusingly structured.[1] Sang-Il Lee points to a lack of depth as the book's principal weakness.[3] Stein notes that its reliance on a specific version of ArcGIS makes it difficult to reproduce its examples, especially for international users with different versions or for users of versions updated after its publication.[2] Another weakness highlighted by Griffith is "its limited connection to the existing literature, with its citations far too often being only those works by its authors".[5] Harris sees a missed opportunity in the omission of spatial statistics, movement data, and spatio-temporal data, the design of spatial data structures, and advanced techniques for visualizing geospatial data.[4]
Nevertheless, Mousavi recommends this book as an "introductory text on spatial information science" aimed at practitioners, and commends its use of QR codes and word clouds.[1] Stein praises the book's attempt to bridge mathematics and geography, and its potential use as a first step towards that bridge for practitioners.[2] Harris suggests it "in an introductory and applied context", and in combination with a more conventional textbook on geographic information systems. Lee argues that the overview of fundamental concepts and cross-disciplinary connections forged by the book make it "worth reading by anyone interested in the geospatial sciences".[3] And Griffith concludes that the book is successful in motivating its readers to "explore formal mathematical subject matter that interfaces with geography".[5]
References
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