FC-07 - Space

- Differentiate between absolute and relative descriptions of location
- Define the four basic dimensions or shapes used to describe spatial objects (i.e., points, lines, regions, volumes)
- Discuss the contributions that different perspectives on the nature of space bring to an understanding of geographic phenomenon
- Justify the discrepancies between the nature of locations in the real world and representations thereof (e.g., towns as points)
- Select appropriate spatial metaphors and models of phenomena to be represented in GIS
- Develop methods for representing non-cartesian models of space in GIS
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the use of cartesian/metric space as a basis for GIS and related technologies
- Differentiate between common-sense, Cartesian/metric, relational, relativistic, phenomenological, social constructivist, and other theories of the nature of space
FC-09 - Relationships Between Space and Time
Relationships between space and time evoke fundamental questions in the sciences and humanities. Many disciplines, including GIScience, consider that space and time extend in separate dimensions, are interchangeable, and form co-equal parts of a larger thing called space-time. Our perception of how time operates in relation to space or vice verso influences how we represent space, time, and their relationships in GIS. The chosen representation, furthermore, predisposes what questions we can ask and what approaches we can take for analysis and modeling. There are many ways to think about space, time, and their relationships in GIScience. This article synthesizes five broad categories: (1) Time is independent of space but relates to space by movement and change; (2) Time collaborates with space to probe relationships, explanations, and predictions; (3) Time is spatially constructed and constrained; (4) Time and space are mutually inferable; and (5) Time and space are integrated and co-equal in the formation of flows, events, and processes. Concepts, constructs, or law-like statements arise in each of the categories as examples of how space, time, and their relationships help frame scientific inquiries in GIScience and beyond.