A geometric network is an object commonly used in

geographic information systems A geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and software that store, manage, analyze, edit, output, and visualize geographic data. Much of this often happens within a spatial database; however, this is not ...

to model a series of interconnected features. A geometric network is similar to a

graph Graph may refer to: Mathematics *Graph (discrete mathematics), a structure made of vertices and edges **Graph theory, the study of such graphs and their properties *Graph (topology), a topological space resembling a graph in the sense of discret ...

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

, and can be described and analyzed using theories and concepts similar to

graph theory In mathematics and computer science, graph theory is the study of ''graph (discrete mathematics), graphs'', which are mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects. A graph in this context is made up of ''Vertex (graph ...

. Geometric networks are often used to model road networks and public utility networks (such as electric, gas, and water utilities). Geometric networks are called in recent years very often spatial networks.

Composition of a Geometric Network

A geometric network is composed of edges that are connected. Connectivity rules for the network specify which edges are connected and at what points they are connected, commonly referred to as junction or intersection points. These edges can have weights or flow direction assigned to them, which dictate certain properties of these edges that affect analysis results . In the case of certain types of networks, source points (points where flow originates) and sink points (points where flow terminates) may also exist. In the case of utility networks, a source point may correlate with an electric substation or a water pumping station, and a sink point may correlate with a service connection at a residential household.

Functions

Networks define the interconnectedness of features. Through analyzing this connectivity, paths from one point to another on the network can be traced and calculated. Through optimization algorithms and utilizing network weights and flow, these paths can also be optimized to show specialized paths, such as the shortest path between two points on the network, as is commonly done in the calculation of driving directions. Networks can also be used to perform spatial analysis to determine points or edges that are encompassed in a certain area or within a certain distance of a specified point. This has applications in

hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is called a hydro ...

and

urban planning Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...

, among other fields.

Applications

Routing Routing is the process of selecting a path for traffic in a Network theory, network or between or across multiple networks. Broadly, routing is performed in many types of networks, including circuit-switched networks, such as the public switched ...

: for calculating driving directions, paths from one point of interest to another, locating nearby points of interest *

Urban Planning Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...

: for site suitability studies, and traffic and congestion studies. *

Electric Utility An electric utility, or a power company, is a company in the electric power industry (often a public utility) that engages in electricity generation and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. Electric utilities are ...

Industry: for modeling an

electrical grid An electrical grid (or electricity network) is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids consist of power stations, electrical substations to step voltage up or down, electric power tran ...

in GIS, tracing from a generation source * Other Public Utilities: for modeling water distribution flow and natural gas distribution

References

{{reflist Geographic information systems

Composition of a Geometric Network

Functions

Applications

See also

References