ABSTRACT
We use point geometry to represent events or processes on the earth or any other known space. These are normally expressed through either cartesian coordinates or geocodes (latitudes and longitudes). Using coordinates, we can create and describe point features in a simple or complex map. The features are amenable to point pattern analysis in which emphasis is placed on the complete set of observations as well as the location of each observation and its distance relative to others in the distribution. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the range of approaches that are used to analyze the distributional patterns of point features. The methods, strategies, tools, and real-world applications of point pattern analysis are presented.
