Boolean matrix operators for computing binary topological relations between complex regions

Complex regions are composed of a finite number of simple regions, and are always defined by hierarchical representation methods. This article focuses on a unified method for computing n-intersection-based binary topological relations between complex regions based on hierarchical characteristics, using known topological relations between simple regions. The hierarchical representation of complex regions is defined as the recursive process of region decomposition using a context-free grammar. To distinguish multiple components of a region and whether the interior of a hole is a part of the inner exterior or the outer exterior, three region operators are proposed to describe the configuration of a region represented as a formal expression. Then, three corresponding 25-intersection (25I) based Boolean matrix operators are proposed to compute topological relations based on the relationships between decomposed regions. Herein, the invalid conditions of the operators are verified in detail, and the invalidities can be eliminated by either applying our definition of complex regions or with the inclusion of additional information. The proposed 25I-based operators, as shown in our cases, can be used as a ‘bridge’ to link different n-intersection models, and as a useful computation tool for analyzing topological relations between regions with specific configurations.