Map Conflation

The book covers the range from theoretical nature of §a new model of conflation to the empirical results §and findings of implementing the proposed map §conflation system. It presents two different map §models corresponding to two different mathematical §approaches to map conflation. The first model is §based on the cell model of map in which a map is a §cell complex consisting of 0-cells, 1-cells, and 2-§cells. The second map model is based on a different §set of primitive objects that remain homeomorphic §even when generalized. The second model facilitates §map conflation by guaranteeing the existence of both §local and global homeomorphisms everywhere. Matching §operations in map conflation are defined in one of §two ways, depending on the map model used. The first §model allows for the possibility of non-homeomorphic §matching. The second model does not. If §corresponding matching features within a subregion §happen to have the same dimension and be §homeomorphic, then more conventional matching §strategies may be applied. If corresponding §features, however, are not homeomorphic, then an §operation called topological surgery may be §implemented.