Representations of space and time / Donna J. Peuquet.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Peuquet, Donna J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Geographical perception.

Space and time.

Information storage and retrieval systems--Geography.

Physical Description:

xii, 380 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Guilford Press, [2002]

Summary:

This book examines how geospatial knowledge can be analyzed and represented in a manner that not only is accurate and coherent, but also makes intuitive sense to the end user. Integrating concepts and approaches from geography, computer science, cognitive psychology, and philosophy, the author explores the processes by which people acquire, represent, and utilize spatiotemporal knowledge.

Contents:

Part I Theories of World Knowledge Representation

Chapter 2 Representation versus Reality 11

What Are "Space" and "Time"? 11

Views of Space and Time: Ideas from Early Myth to Modern Science 12

Space and Time as a Context for Understanding 21

Common Threads 28

Chapter 3 Acquiring World Knowledge: The Overall Process 34

Understanding the World around Us 34

The Nature of the Process 35

The Start of the Process: Innate Concepts 40

Types of Knowledge 42

Types of Knowledge at Geographic Scales 46

How Types of Knowledge Relate to Cognitive Representation and Levels of Knowing 51

Chapter 4 Storing World Knowledge: Some Elements of Conceptual Structure 56

Embodiment of Spatial Knowledge 56

Our World View as a Cognitive Map 58

Geographic Knowledge as a Multirepresentational and Dynamic System 64

Ontology: Elements of Knowing 65

Formal Ontologies 67

Categories 70

Geographic Categories 77

Schema: The Link between Percepts and Concepts 81

Chapter 5 Acquiring World Knowledge through Direct Experience 93

Sensory Information and Cognition 93

Ordinary Seeing: Vision and Visual Perception 94

The Perceptual Cycle 102

Touching and Hearing 104

The Senses as a Unitary Source of Spatial Information for Cognition 106

Consideration of Different Spaces and Scales 112

J. J. Gibson's and Marr's Theories Extended 113

Interpretation and Recognition: A Process of Cooperative Cognition 115

Chapter 6 From Observation to Understanding 117

Beyond Mere Observation 117

Imagery as a Means of Understanding 117

The Use of Metaphor in Understanding 123

How We Make the Connections 126

Myth, Science, and the Imagination 133

A Metaphorical Speculation 136

Chapter 7 Acquiring Geographic Knowledge through Indirect Experience 140

Nonsensory Knowledge Sources 140

How Graphic Images Convey Spatial Knowledge 141

The Legacy of Maps and Mapping 144

How Maps Convey Knowledge 150

The Power of Language 159

Language as a Symbolic System 161

How Language Conveys Spatial Knowledge 163

The Relationship between Language and Cognitive Structure 173

Graphics and Language Intertwined 178

The Role of Indirect Experience 180

Chapter 8 How Spatial Knowledge Is Encoded 183

Meaning and Understanding 183

The Form of Imagery as a Mental Construct 184

Properties of Pictorial versus Linguistic Representations 190

From Outer to Inner Space: Basic Cognitive Models 193

Differing Views within the Mind 194

Separation of "What," "Where," and "When" Knowledge 196

How "What," "Where," and "When" Are Encoded 202

Part II The Computer as a Tool for Storing and Acquiring Spatial Knowledge

Chapter 9 New Tools, New Opportunities 209

Exploring Virtual Worlds 209

Computers as Geographic Problem-Solving Tools 211

Autonomous Problem Solving: Machines That "Think" 214

Knowledge Discovery in Data-Rich Environments 216

Toward a New Perspective 218

Chapter 10 The Computer as Medium 220

The Capabilities of Computers 220

The Changing Nature of Accessing Geographic Information 223

Challenges of Modern Computer Technology 225

Chapter 11 Storing Geographic Data 229

Storing Information in a Computer Context 229

Databases, Data Models, and Levels of Representation 231

Methods of Data Representation in Database Management Systems 234

Specialized Representations for Geographic Data: The Beginnings 239

Vector Models 242

Hierarchical Vector Models 246

Tessellation Models 247

Chapter 12 A New Perspective for Geographic Database Representation 262

The Big Debate: Deeper than Software 262

What Are Objects, Anyway? 267

The Space-Time Typology Comes Full Circle 270

The Discrete View 271

The Continuous View 272

Integrated Implementations 272

Geographic Data Models Based on Cognitive Structure 273

The Bigger Picture 278

Chapter 13 Interacting with Databases 282

The Traditional Query Language Approach 282

Computer Graphics and Visualization 288

Virtual Environments 291

Developments in Human-Computer Interaction 292

Beyond Queries 295

Chapter 14 Issues for Implementing Advanced Geographic Databases 303

Extending Capabilities in Representation, Interaction, and Learning 303

About Time 304

Inexactness and Scale Issues 308

Formal Ontologies as a Basis for Shared Understanding 311

Artificial Creativity? 314

The Modeler's Dilemma 318

Chapter 15 Epilogue: Moving Forward 321.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 325-365) and index.

ISBN:

1572307730

OCLC:

49530164