Spatial Mathematics: Theory and Practice through Mapping by Sandra Lach Arlinghaus and Joseph J. Kerski

Abstract

There has been much attention to GIS as a tool for gathering, displaying, examining, evaluating, and interpreting data for knowledge discovery in geographical data. The book "Spatial Mathematics: Theory and Practice through Mapping" by Sandra Lach Arlinghaus and Joseph J. Kerski [1] introduces GIS as a tool for introducing mathematical concepts for GIS, visualization, and mapping.The book is mainly an attempt to introduce fundamental spatial concepts in applied way. It supplies plenty of materials and exercises from diverse academic disciplines such as geography, mathematics, physics, and general social science. The inclusion of "spatial mathematics" in the title is somewhat misleading, as the role of mathematics is not always clearly defined. The book mainly focuses on fundamental spatial concepts, rather than addressing advanced mathematical concepts. Thus, it is best-suited for introducing mathematical concepts employed in spatial information science and mapping.Using QR (quick response) codes is the most interesting and innovative part of this book. QR codes facilitate access to relevant materials that support the theoretical concepts. The book contains 10 chapters covering a diverse range of topics pertaining to spatial information science, with each chapter is organized in two distinct parts: theory and practice.According to the content, the book can be divided into two main parts. The first part involves topics related to measurement and geodetic characteristics of the Earth, explained in chapters 1, 2, and 9. Chapters 1 and 2 support a basic understanding of the geometry of the Earth, including topics such as geodetic models, positioning, coordinate systems, and location measurements. Further discussions of the numerical characterization of location on the Earth's surface are terminated in chapter 2, but taken up again in chapter 9. Chapter 9 deals with various map projections and their characteristics, which has an important role in selecting the best projection for displaying maps.The second part of book focuses primarily on spatial visualization techniques, in helping to reveal meaningful structure in the distributions of phenomena in space. Thus, chapters 3 to 8 deal with fundamental analytical techniques in GIS to uncover hidden spatial patterns.

Implementation of a Web Application and GIS Electronic Atlas for Teaching in Open Education

“…Nowadays, researchers consider GST as part of STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) a systematic, holistic approach to studying the world. In the work (Arlinghaus et al, 2014), it was studied that GST provides an excellent way to teach mathematical concepts and skills through the visualization of numbers. In the work of Kerski et al (2015), it is presented that in secondary school, it is possible to form spatial thinking and skills, to develop a cognitive basis for constantly expanding geospatial technologies and capabilities.…”