An Axiomatic Approach to Topology For Spatial Information Systems

The paper reports work on the topological formalism `RCC', a region-based `calculus of connection' developed at Leeds university over the past several years. Speci cally, it is shown that the nonempty regular closed sets of a class of topological spaces (connected T3-spaces) provide models for the RCC axiom-set. A brief assessment is made of RCC's potential as a formalism for applications in the area of spatial information systems (SIS). Two approaches to developing topological formalisms for SIS are compared, and a parallel is drawn with the two main parts of topology as understood by mathematicians.

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