Geosets of Populations Distributed over a Predetermined Territory

Abstract

The preparation of rational maps and geostatistical parameters is based on information concerning the locations of the elements of the populations and territories considered. In this chapter we formalize and conceptualize this information as geostatistical sets geosets, by which we mean the distribution of relative frequencies of the locations of the elements of a population (or a territory). More specifically, the geoset is a list of locations of elements of population or of territory to which we attach the relative weight assigned to each location in order to prepare maps and geostatistical parameters. Locations can be expressed by longitude and latitude, by Cartesian coordinates, or in any one of several other ways, but in this volume we use only Cartesian coordinates. For some hints on calculations of geostatistical parameters based on longitudes and latitudes, see Shimony (1963).