Introduction

Abstract

An essential objective of mathematics is to create settings and concepts to understand better our world. Mathematics is present in everyday life. Even more, almost all sciences undergo a process of “mathematization” due to increasing technological progress. An example is geomathematics. It is a key discipline for observing, understanding, and forecasting the complexity of the system Earth. We are living in a world of rapid climate, environmental, and societal change. Emphasis must be also put on the interactions with the ecosystem. For all these interactions to be managed there is a strong need for geomathematical research that becomes increasingly apparent. Understanding phenomena requires the handling and analyzing of data. Usually, data sets are discrete manifestations of continuous processes of the system Earth. As an urgent consequence, geosciences have to take care in maintaining and improving the links between the Earth’s system and its simplifications by theories, models, and simulations based on discrete data sets. The building bridge between the real world and its virtual counterpart based on mappings in form of measurements and observations consequently is one of the fundamental roles of geomathematics.