I use "topologically equal" because the OGC SFS specification uses the
term "topology" extensively in their discussion of the meaning of the
DE-9IM model, on which the semantics of ST_equals is based.
I can see how you might want a definition of topology which would
distinguish the two given geometries. However, I think that the DE-9IM
is based on the idea of simplicial complexes. I'm fairly certain that
two geometries are only comparable in this model if they can be
expressed in the same simplicial complex. In such a setting, both of
the geometries in question will have the same form - and hence are
equal. I'm pretty sure that simplicial complexes are an aspect of
topolgical theory - which brings us back to where we started.
I don't like the term "spatially-equal", because I think "spatially" is
too vague and overloaded. How about "point-set equal"? The idea is
that A = B iff every point of A is in B and every point of B is in A.
Andy Anderson wrote:
I wouldn't call this example "topologically" equal; one has two
vertices and the other has three, and that's the only characteristic
that's relevant in topology (not even their positions :-)
"Coincident" is probably a better term, though "spatially equal" is
probably just as good, and contrasts well with the term "geometrically
equal" that the manual uses to describe the ~= operator.
-- Andy
On May 30, 2008, at 7:54 PM, Martin Davis wrote:
Will ST_equals do what you want? It reports whether two geometries
are topologically equal.
(So for example, ST_equals('LINESTRING(0 0, 10 10)','LINESTRING(0 0,
5 5, 10 10)') is true)
Obe, Regina wrote:
I recall this having come up before. I always thought that ~= would
tell me if 2 geometries are spatially equal but it doesn't seem to.
The only way I can figure to determine spatial equality is if
ST_Within(A,B) And ST_Within(B,A) (or ST_Difference(A,B) AND
ST_Difference(B,A) both return an empty geometry collection)
--So case in point
SELECT geom1 ~= geom2 as what, ST_Within(geom1, geom2) AND
ST_Within(geom2, geom1) As spatial_equal,
ST_AsText(ST_Difference(geom1, geom2)) as diffgeom12,
ST_AsText(ST_Difference(geom2, geom1)) as diffgeom21 FROM (SELECT
'LINESTRING(1 1, 1 2, 1 3)'::geometry As geom1, 'LINESTRING(1 1,
1 3)'::geometry As geom2) As foo
Results:
what | spatial_equal | diffgeom12 | diffgeom21
------+---------------+--------------------------+----------------------
----
f | t | GEOMETRYCOLLECTION EMPTY | GEOMETRYCOLLECTION
EMPTY
Is there a function / operator that does that (also what does geom1 =
geom2 compare - is it just bounding boxes or is that the spatially
equal
operator I am looking for?)
Thanks,
Regina
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Martin Davis
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Refractions Research, Inc.
(250) 383-3022
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Senior Technical Architect
Refractions Research, Inc.
(250) 383-3022
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