Computer Applications in Geography

Book excerpt: Computer Applications in Geography Paul M. Mather Department of Geography, University of Nottingham, England Geography graduates are expected to be computer literate, yet the literature on computing is often inaccessible to them. This book is intended for undergraduate students of geography who wish to familiarise themselves with the terminology of computers and to read about the ways in which computers are presently being used in geography. It assumes no prior knowledge of computers and no mathematical skills beyond those possessed by the average layman. The first two chapters form a technical introduction to computers and data. The remaining five chapters are devoted to individual topics representing a selection of the main areas of computer use in geography and show how computers can be used to acquire, process and display geographical data. Worked examples, with example data sets, are given for three program packages that are widely used by geographers--SPSS, SYMAP and GIMMS. The book is comprehensive in its coverage of the major areas of computer applications and will be of interest to geographers dealing with statistics, digital cartography, remote sensing, geographical information systems and simulation models.