Spatial Representation with Aspect Maps1

This paper describes the aspect map approach to model the processing of geographic maps. Geographic maps are described as spatial representation media which play an important role in many processes of human spatial cognition. We focus on the aspectuality of representation and therefore deal with aspect maps: spatial organization structures in which one or more aspects of geographic entities are represented. The aspect map architecture is presented, an AI model of processing geographic maps. Two processes contained in this model are investigated in more detail. The first is the transformation of one aspect map into another aspect map which only retains selected entities and aspects (extraction). The second process is the combination of two aspect maps, in order to obtain a third aspect map. The results of an empirical study show that the formal approach can describe and distinguish the ways in which people solve this task.