ABSTRACT
An uncertainty model for buffer spatial analysis is presented and discussed in this chapter. Three uncertainty indices for describing positional uncertaintyan error of commission, an error of omission, and a normalized discrepant area-are presented. The first two indices are applicable if the “true” and measured locations of a buffer overlap; the latter is not subject to this restriction. A rigorous mathematical expression for each of the uncertainty indices is derived, based upon multivariate integration. In contrast to existing research on uncertainty modeling for buffer spatial analysis, the proposed model relaxes the assumption of positional uncertainty distribution for a spatial feature surrounded by its buffer. Hence, this model has the added advantage of being suitable for dealing with more generic application situations.
