Extending ERD modeling notation to fuzzy management of GIS datasets

Abstract

The university of Idaho Experimental Forest's geographic data are currently stored in a semi-organized fashion as sets of files on a file server. These data are typically manipulated and utilized by students using a crisp set paradigm. As part of research to find a better way to manage and organize these sets, a fuzzy set model is being developed. An ERD data model notation is being extended with a notation representing fuzzy theory where it applies to the problem of set management, and a discretizing junction. D(), is being developed for fuzzy problems defined by continuous field data. D() is a specialized member of the class of functions M(), where the values it selects are spatial definitions and temporally continuous fields. Because space/time are metadata about attributes, the inclusion of D() in the class M() is appropriate and in fact may be hierarchical in nature. A notation has been created in the newly extended model to represent temporal fuzziness and the use of D() in place of M().