ATS2780 Lecture 2: Conception of Space
25 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lecture 2 – Conception of Space
Essay – pick 6/7 questions: most interesting for your example
Sack: framework of space conceptions
• Objectivity vs subjectivity
o Positive (remove observer): space existing independent of you being
there
o Subjective: doesn’t really exist outside of mind
Couclelis: a hierarchy of space
• Mathematical space
o Think about mathematical space in conceptual theoretical terms
o Imaginary
o Expected to turn a 2D object to a 3D object in our mind
Euclidean Geometry
• Geo-metry = measuring the earth
• Shapes in a flat plane
• Flat 3D Euclidean Space
• Straight line = shortest distance between two points
• Angles in a triangle: A + B + C = 180˚
• Pythagoras
• Use Cartesian coordinates
Cartesian Coordinates
• Only valid in Euclidean space
• Constant, mutually orthogonal axes (i.e. at right angles)
• 3 coordinates can uniquely define any point in 3D space
• If going straight for a long km, will go to space as the earth curves
o Not useful for earth over large distances
Spherical Geometry
• Great circle – shortest distance between two points
o Exists in plane between two points and the centre of the earth
• Euclidean geometry stop working – not relevant as they don’t work
Latitude, Longitude
• Latitude – how far north or south (ladder)
• Two formats
o Degrees, minutes, seconds: 37˚54˚48˚’ S
o Decimal degrees: -37.913265
o Northern hemisphere is positive latitude
o Southern hemisphere is negative latitude
• Longitude – how far east to west
Meridians and Parallels
• Meridians
o Everything has same longitude
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o Not great circles as they don’t go through centre of the earth
o Run north-south
o Lines of constant longitude
• Parallels
o Run east-west
o Lines of constant latitude = great circle
o Other parallels are small circles
• Third coordinate
o Elevation
Earth is not a Sphere
• Need a number to define
• Earth is a gravitational equipotential surface distorted by centrifugal force
from rotation
• Sea is also attracted towards the continents = geoid
• Latest world spheroid = WGS84 = world geodetic system 1994
Cartesian Coordinates for Earth
• Earth centred earth fixed
o Assume earth is still
o Rotates with the earth
o Calculate distances, areas
• Earth centred inertial
o Earths relevance is fixed to the stores
o Earth rotates independently
o Calculate orbits of satellites
Socio-political space
• Socially: space is constructed into place
o Villages, towns, cities
o Ethnic connection to place, e.g. the holy land
o Places change through time
o Some places have no real space ‘heaven’
• Also tacitly controlled
o Gangland
o Gender dominated
• Space is politically regulated
o Territorial borders
o Poor representations of people who live there
o Ownership of land, rights of access
o Enclave – piece of one country inside another country
Socio-Economic Space
• Economic space is defined by spatial relations:
o Consumers
o Producers
o Labor, raw material
o Transport costs
• We are only prepared to travel a certain distance
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Essay pick 6/7 questions: most interesting for your example. Sack: framework of space conceptions: objectivity vs subjectivity, positive (remove observer): space existing independent of you being there, subjective: doesn"t really exist outside of mind. Couclelis: a hierarchy of space: mathematical space, think about mathematical space in conceptual theoretical terms, imaginary, expected to turn a 2d object to a 3d object in our mind. Cartesian coordinates: only valid in euclidean space, constant, mutually orthogonal axes (i. e. at right angles, 3 coordinates can uniquely define any point in 3d space. If going straight for a long km, will go to space as the earth curves: not useful for earth over large distances. Spherical geometry: great circle shortest distance between two points, exists in plane between two points and the centre of the earth, euclidean geometry stop working not relevant as they don"t work.
