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Geocomplexity explains spatial errors
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Geocomplexity explains spatial errors

Zehua Zhang, Yongze Song, Peng Luo and Peng Wu
International journal of geographical information science : IJGIS, Vol.37(7), pp.1449-1469
07/03/2023
DOI: 10.1080/13658816.2023.2203212
url
https://doi.org/10.1080/13658816.2023.2203212View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

The explanation of spatial errors in geospatial modelling has long been a challenge. This study introduces an index that captures the complexity of local spatial distribution, which can partially provide insight into spatial errors. While previous studies have explored the complexity of geographical data from various perspectives, there is limited knowledge on assessing the complexity while taking spatial dependence into account. This study proposes a measure of geocomplexity, i.e. the spatial local complexity indicator, which characterizes the complexity of local spatial patterns while considering spatial neighbor dependence. We used both aspatial and spatial models to estimate the economic inequality in Australia, and applied the spatial local complexity indicator to explain spatial errors in these models. Results show that the developed geocomplexity indicator, using a binary spatial matrix, can effectively explain spatial errors arising from models, including 17%-47% of errors in aspatial models and 14% in a spatial model. The experiments in this study support our hypothesis that geocomplexity is an essential component in explaining spatial errors. The proposed geocomplexity indicator, along with our hypothesis, has the potential for advancing the understanding complex geospatial systems and enabling applications in various fields related to spatial data analysis.
 economic inequality geocomplexity spatial dependence spatial errors Spatial local complexity

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