Rough spatial description

Rough set, GIS, Spatial uncertainty, Rough spatiRough set is a new approach to uncertainties in spatial decision-making and analysis in GIS context. In this paper, rough set symbols are simplified and standardized, which are composed of rough interpretation and specialized indication. Rough spatial entities and their topological relationships are also proposed in rough space. Further, a universal intersected equation is developed, and rough membership function is extended with the grey degree of a pixel in a case study. First, rough set is simply reviewed, and a set of simplified rough symbols is advanced on the basis of different kinds of existed rough symbols. It includes both rough interpretation and specialized indication. Second, rough spatial entity is put forward in rough vector space, rough raster space and rough threedimensional space. It is argued that GIS studies the real world as it is, without forcing uncertainties to change into crisp set. Third, rough topological relationships that are disjoint, touch, overlap, equal, cover, covered by, contain and contained by, are studied via rough matrix with their figures. They are divided into three types, CC (crisp entity and crisp entity), RC (rough entity and crisp entity) and RR (rough entity and rough entity). And a universal intersected equation is further proposed. Finally, a case is studied on river thematic map. The maximum and minimum maps of river thematic classification are generated via integrating the reduction of superfluous attributes, rough membership function and rough relationshipsl entity, Rough topological relationship, Rough symbols