Introduction
- Information about Andy Turner's research interests in Computational Geography.
- Contents:
Origins
- GeoComputation was suggested as a name for a conference on Computational Geography in 1996.
- The conference hosted at The University of Leeds was a great success and led to the set up of http://www.geocomputation.org/.
- Two years prior to this first GeoComputation conference, The Centre for Computational Geography (CCG) was established as an interdisciplinary centre at The University of Leeds
- The original intention of setting up the centre was to develop a new computational paradigm
for doing human geography, though almost immediately, the human focus was de-emphasised
and the focus of the centre became based on the development of geographical analysis methods
and on the dissemination of geographical information.
- Post conference in 1996 there were two terms GeoComputation and Computational
Geography, and further attempts were made to define them, distinguish them and use them
- In a way, GeoComputation has superseded the older term, but are they really the same thing,
although one view is that GeoComputation is a broader subject that addresses problems across
all geo sciences and the more abstract art of geometry.
- This web page originally attempted some definitions and acted as a way for me to collect together links
to further information on the topic. Prior to this, Computationally Geography/GeoComputation had
become a research interest of mine and now this web page also serves to link and publicise my work on this
practical topic which I summarise as the application of the computational science paradigm to geographical
problems.
Definitions
- Even if they are to be distinguished; Computational Geography, GeoComputation,
GeoInformatics and Geographical Information Science massively overlap:
- It can be argued that each individual term has a slightly different focus and that some are
broader in scope, but essentially they are all very similar.
Computational Geography and GeoComputation
- Computation refers to a particular paradigm based on numerical approximation rather than
analytical precision. It lends itself to the development and application of data driven inductive
tools, simulation and the formation of rules and experiments to examine systems in an applied
scientific framework of experiment and result replicability.
- Geography is a shortened amalgamation of the Greek words geo and
graphein. The meaning of geo is along the lines of the Earth (world), and
graphein sort of translates to writing (describing). Practical (applied) geography goes
beyond written description and involves the use of enabling technology and information to help
generate understanding and explanation to help us solve problems. Essentially geography involves
mapping and the study of phenomenon and processes that interact on planet Earth. As such the art
and science of geography overlaps with a great many other subjects.
- Geography can be subdivided by topics, application, by spatial and temporal realm and by the
approach and methods employed. A dichotomy distinguishing human from physical
geography has been somewhat divisive, but in truth, all geography involves both a consideration of
people and the rest of the environment (at least that is how I believe geography should define itself).
More human geography focuses on social, economic and political aspects, such as, demography,
organisations like industry, other business and services, cities, the evolution and variation in
human activity and incidence of occurance. More physical geography focuses on the less human
aspects of understanding the environment tending to the studies of climate, ecology, techtonics, rivers,
glaciers and such like features and processes that exists without humans. Things, the geographical
distribution of things depends on their spatial and temporal definition as well as the definition of
the thing. Just about anything that occurs on or near the surface of the earth can be a subject of
geographical study... Subjects close to the core of geography demand a detailed understanding of
physical processes and human activity. Land use and land cover change, development and environmental
risk assessment are example core geographical subjects. Geographical study is often simply focussed on
a place or spatial region and/or a time and these too provide a window into modelling everything in a
context, in a scale. The depth and detail of the study is related to the scale and in spatial and temporal
terms is usually refered to as resolution. I sometimes think about geography as focussing on the human
scale and from the resolution of all people to an individual.
- Computational geography focuses on the development and application of a computational approach
to geography. It may involve using computation as a substitute for missing knowledge or theory and
involve simulations and experiments to help understand complex system dynamics and behaviours. The
following are all statements that can be used to describe GeoComputation:
-
It aims to
...test theory by simulation, create new theory by experimentation, obtain a view of the
previously invisible, explore the previously unexplorable, and model the previously unmodellable
, Openshaw (2000).
-
It is about using various different types of geographical and environmental data and developing
relevant tools within the overall context of a computational scientific approach.
-
It is about applying geographical and environmental data, computational software and computer
hardware to provide geographical explanations.
-
It often involves increasing the spatial and temporal scales of analysis and simulatneously
increasing resolution and attribute detail.
-
It can be regarded as
...the application of a computational science paradigm to study a wide range of problems
in geographical and earth systems contexts
, Openshaw (2000).
-
It implies the adoption of a large-scale computationally intensive scientific paradigm as a tool
for doing all manner of geographical/earth science research.
-
It
...is about finding new or better solutions to existing problems via a computational route.
It is also about thinking about tackling new classes of problem that previously were
unthinkable or insoluble
, Openshaw (2000).
-
It is the development and application of a computationally intensive science based paradigm to
study geographical systems and for applied geography. It seeks to exploit new opportunities
for modelling, simulation and analysis that developments in information technology create.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoComputation
Geoinformatics and Geographical Information Science
- All the above statements can equally be applied to define GeoInformatics and
Geographic(al) Information Science. It can be argued that GeoInformatics focusses on
data and information assimilation and dissemination. How information is coded, addressed, accessed,
moved and interfaced. Science is more focused on explaining phenomenon and processes.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoinformatics
GIS
- GIS has been used as an acronym of Geographic(al) Information System since the late
1970's. Such a GIS is a system for the capture, storage, manipulation, analysis, modelling
and visualisation of geographical data. The human and computer parts of a GIS could be divided and
the S of GIS has also stood for Software. Since the late 1990s GIS has
commonly been used as an abbreviation for Geographic(al) Information Science.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIS
References
-
Openshaw S.
,
Abrahart R.
(Eds.), 2000, GeoComputation. Taylor & Francis.
- A considered look at a new geographical paradigm.
-
Openshaw S.
,
Openshaw C. (1997) Artificial Intelligence in Geography
- Introducing the basic principles of artificial intelligence with applications in
geographical teaching and research, GIS, and planning.
-
Fotheringham S., Brunsdon C., Charlton M.
(Eds.), 2000, Geographically Weighted Regression
- On the theory of Geographically Weighted Statistics.
-
Fotheringham S., Brunsdon C., Charlton M.
(Eds.), 2000, Quantitative Geography: Perspectives on Spatial Data Analysis
- An account of contemporary challenges in quantitative geography.
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