ABSTRACT
Data describing continuous fields are a major information type used in many natural sciences and spatial data processing applications. This chapter discusses the characteristics of continuous fields as they are used in data processing systems. The overall objective is to show that an approach like VDS can help to overcome the impediments resulting from the necessary discretization when sampling continuous fields. A general (essential) field model is developed which can be used as a theoretical basis for the implementation of corresponding VDS and for the identification of individual components and properties.
