Supporting emergence in geographic information systems

The combination of the paradigms of shape algebras and predicate logic representations is a paradigm capable of modeling maps that can support emergent features. First-order predicate logic provides a natural intuitive way of representing spatial relations in the development of complete computer systems for geometric reasoning. Shape-algebraic formalisms have advantages over more traditional representations of geometric objects. Here I will illustrate the definition of high-level spatial relations from a small set of simple structures, with examples from the domain of geographic information systems.