Modeling and Comparing Spatiotemporal Events

Spatiotemporal helixes constitute a novel method we developed for modeling changes in an object over time. Changes in both an object’s trajectory and its outline can be represented with these helixes. In addition, spatiotemporal helixes can be compared to determine whether multiple objects have undergone similar changes. In this paper, we present a method by which these helixes may be compared, and then discuss possible actions to take after results have been obtained. Helixes of objects with similar behaviors may be generalized into a single helix that represents the behavior of the group of objects. In addition, helixes of objects that stop behaving in a similar manner over time can be split into discrete helixes. These aspects of helix definition and behavior are potentially useful to digital government related activities involving large geospatial datasets including objects moving or phenomena evolving over time.