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simple or composite character of the objects at stake. This combination defines four
cases (Table 1.1) that establish a first classification of the objects that are
manipulated during spatial analysis. The examples are presented for information
purposes, and some positions in the table could be questioned, such as the case of
the forest (mentioned above) or even of the river. As a matter of fact, the latter may
be viewed as a simple object making up a whole, elementary entity of the landscape,
or as a composite object, composed of a sequence of river stretches delimited by
some relevant features of the landscape (for example, change of direction).
Methodological point of view
Ontological
point of view
Simple
Composite
“bona fide”
Individual being, housing,
building, tree, river...
Family, copse, river,
forest, flock...
“fiat”
Municipality,
country,
Household, city,
forest, built area...
farm, university...
Table 1.1. Combination of two categorizations of objects with a few examples of each case
1.1.3. Specification of ontologies in the field of spatial analysis and geographical
sciences: objects versus fields
The ontological conceptualization will help to impose consistency between
conceptual objects responding to the problematics posed and empirical objects,
observable in the reality of the field. This step is essential in the path that leads from
the facts to be described and understood to the data structuration to be mobilized to
achieve this. The conceptualization and observation of empirical phenomena can be
done in different ways. We will discuss in particular the dichotomy between the
ontologies in terms of objects (discrete perspective) and in terms of fields
(continuous perspective), opposition that also flows through other sciences, notably
physics.
When focusing on spatial phenomena and performing spatial analysis, actually a
first distinction is to be made between an ontology of the discrete and an ontology of
the continuous . In the geographic information sciences, the first refers to an
approach “object-based” and the second refers to an approach “field-based”. In this
domain, the dichotomy object/field (object based/field based) is a matter related to
data and data models developed to store, manage and represent geographical
information. Couclelis [COU 92] establishes a parallel between this dichotomy and
the discussions conducted within physics on the opposition between the theory of
elementary particles (making reference to the atomic and quantum properties of
bodies) and a continuous field approach, also called plenum, supposing the
continuity of space and time. This paradigm is useful to define a conceptual
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