Evolutionary models (e.g genetic algorithms, artificial life) are emerging as an important new tool for geographic information systems for a number of reasons. First, they are highly appropriate for modelling geographic phenomena; second, geographical problems are often spatially separate (broken down into logical or regional problems), and evolutionary algorithms can exploit this structure; and finally, the ability to store, mainipulate, and visualize spatial data has increased to the point that space-time attribute databases can be easily handled. This book is proposed to serve as a guide to the evolutionary modelling of spatial phenomena.

This study surveys the approaches used and problems encountered in the modelling of real geophysical data. It addresses key themes of the modelling process including the selection of reliable data, the choice of data structure and the objective analysis of 3-D information presented in the model.

One of the ongoing problems researchers in geography and GIS have is studying data that is inherently spatial over a long period of time. One of the main hurdles they have to overcome is the study of groups of people classified by their socio-economic status (one of the main means for governments, companies and research organisations to group together segments of the population). The amount of data collected by governments, business and research organisations has increased markedly in recent years. Geographic Information Systems have been more widely used than ever before for the storage and analysis of this information. Most GIS can handle this information spatially rather than temporally, and have difficulty with the management of socio-economic time series, which relate to spatial units. Accordingly, this book covers the issues ranging from the formal model to differentiate aspects of spatio-temporal data, through philosophical and fundamental reconsideration of time and space to the development of practical solutions to the problem. This book draws together an interdisciplinary group of scientists in the field of geography, computing, surveying and philosophy. It presents the definitive sourcebook on temporal GIS as applied to socio-economic units.

Contents:
1. Introduction by the Editors 2. Setting the Stage 3. Ontological Background 4. Databases for Temporal GIS: Applications 5. Definition of Socio-economic Units

The intersection of two disciplines and technologies which have become mature academic research topics in the 1990s was destined to be a dynamic area for collaboration and publication. However, until now no significant book-length treatment of the meeting of GIS and Virtual Reality has been available. This volume puts that situation to rights by bringing these together to cement some common understanding and principles in a potentially highly promising area for technological collaboration and cross-fertilisation.
The result is a volume which ranges in subject matter from studies of a Virtual GIS Room to Spatial Agents, and from an Environmental Multimedia System to Computer-Assisted 3D Geographic Education. All the contributors are well-known international scientists, principally from the computational side of GIS. It will be a valuable resource for any GIS researcher or professional looking to understand the leading edge of this fertile field.

This text focuses on the ways in which GIS could be made multi dimensional, based on modelling limitations of current two-dimensional GIS. It suggests extending GIS to incorporate the third dimension 3D GIS as well as time spatio-temporal GIS, using a variety of programming techniques. This book represents late 1990s knowledge about 3D and 4D GIS.