ABSTRACT
In the previous chapters, we have seen how a wide variety of types of geographic data can be created and stored. Methods of digitizing and scanning allow geographic data to be created from paper maps and photographs. Powerful computing hardware makes it possible to store large amounts of data in forms that are readily amenable to manipulation and analysis using the routines stored in powerful software. Thus, the stage is set for a discussion in this chapter of the real core of GIS, the methods of analysis and modeling that allow us to examine data, to solve specifi c problems, and to support important decisions, using the capabilities of hardware, software, and data that together compose a GIS.
