Geospatial Modelling, AI and Machine Learning
Spatial Modelling: Deterministic, Stochastic & Hybrid

- Spatial modelling: concept & need; deterministic models (rule-based, fixed output)
- Stochastic models: probabilistic output; Monte Carlo simulation; uncertainty in spatial predictions
- Hybrid models: combining deterministic & stochastic approaches
Spatial Interpolation: IDW — Formula & Limitations
- Spatial interpolation: concept; choosing interpolation method based on data type & distribution
- IDW (Inverse Distance Weighting): formula, power parameter, advantages & limitations
Spatial Interpolation: Kriging & Variogram
- Kriging: geostatistical interpolation; variogram; ordinary, universal & co-kriging; advantages
Spatial Interpolation: Spline — Regularized & Tension
- Spline: regularized vs tension spline; applications in smooth surface generation
Spatial Regression: Spatial Lag & Spatial Error Models
- Linear regression in spatial context: OLS; spatial autocorrelation of residuals (Moran’s I)
Logistic Regression: Binary Spatial Outcomes
- Logistic regression: binary spatial outcomes (flood/no flood, diseased/healthy)
- Spatial regression: spatial lag model; spatial error model; accounting for spatial dependency
Agent-Based Modelling: Concept & Applications
- Agent-based modelling: concept; agents, rules, environment; emergent behaviour; applications in urban growth, land use change
Machine Learning Fundamentals: Types & Workflow
- Machine learning fundamentals: definition; ML vs traditional statistics; ML workflow
Supervised Learning: Classification vs Regression
- Supervised learning: labelled training data; classification vs regression tasks
Unsupervised Learning: Pattern Discovery & Clustering
- Unsupervised learning: unlabelled data; pattern discovery; clustering
Reinforcement Learning: Concept in Geography
- Reinforcement learning: reward-based learning; agents & environment; less common in geography
Random Forest: Ensemble Method & Feature Importance
- Random Forest (RF): ensemble of decision trees; bagging; feature importance; OOB error
Support Vector Machine (SVM): Hyperplane & Kernel Trick
- Support Vector Machine (SVM): hyperplane, kernel trick, margin maximization; applications in image classification
Decision Trees: Splitting Criteria & Pruning
- Decision Trees: splitting criteria (Gini impurity, entropy/information gain); overfitting; pruning
K-means Clustering: Centroid-Based & Elbow Method
- K-means clustering: centroid-based; elbow method for K selection; limitations
KNN: Distance-Based Classification
- K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN): distance-based classification; choice of K; computational cost
Artificial Neural Networks: Perceptron, Layers & Backpropagation
- Artificial Neural Networks (ANN): perceptron, hidden layers, activation functions, backpropagation
Deep Learning: CNN, RNN & Transfer Learning
- Deep learning: CNN (for image classification), RNN/LSTM (for time series); transfer learning
PCA & LDA: Dimensionality Reduction in ML
- PCA in ML: dimensionality reduction; principal components; explained variance
- LDA (Linear Discriminant Analysis): supervised dimensionality reduction; class separation
Feature Selection & Feature Hashing
- Feature hashing: encoding categorical variables; hash functions
- Feature selection: filter, wrapper & embedded methods; reducing overfitting
Model Evaluation: Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F1-score
- Model evaluation metrics: accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score — definitions & formulas
AUC-ROC Curve & Cross-Validation
- AUC-ROC: concept of ROC curve; area under curve; threshold selection; multi-class extension
- Cross-validation: k-fold, stratified k-fold; train-test split; avoiding data leakage
ML Applications: LULC Classification
- ML applications in LULC: training sample collection, classifier comparison, temporal change detection
ML Applications: Flood Susceptibility Mapping
- ML applications in flood susceptibility: multi-criteria features (slope, TWI, rainfall, soil); ensemble methods
ML Applications: Landslide Susceptibility Mapping
- ML applications in landslide susceptibility: LR, RF, SVM comparison; validation with AUC-ROC
ML Applications: Forest Fire & Species Distribution
- ML applications in forest fire prediction: fire weather indices, fuel load mapping
- ML applications in species distribution: MaxEnt, RF; habitat suitability modelling
ML Applications: Urban Growth Prediction
- ML applications in urban growth prediction: CA-Markov, SLEUTH, ANN; future scenario modelling
Big Data in Geography: 4 Vs & Hadoop Ecosystem
- Big data in geography: volume, velocity, variety, veracity — 4 Vs; geospatial big data characteristics
- Hadoop ecosystem: HDFS (storage), MapReduce (processing), YARN; use cases in large raster processing
Apache Spark & Geospatial Big Data Analytics
- Apache Spark: in-memory computation; faster than MapReduce; Spark Spatial for geospatial analytics
Spatial Indexing: R-tree, Quad-tree & Geohash
- Spatial indexing: R-tree, quad-tree, geohash — efficient spatial querying
Spatial Clustering & Hotspot Analysis
- Spatial clustering: DBSCAN, HDBSCAN; hotspot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*)
- Spatial data mining: association rules, sequential patterns, spatial co-location patterns
IoT in Geography: Devices, Sensors & Drones
- IoT in geography: concept; types of geospatial IoT devices — GPS trackers, weather stations, soil sensors, drones
IoT Protocols: MQTT, CoAP & LoRaWAN
- IoT protocols: MQTT (lightweight pub-sub messaging), CoAP (constrained devices), LoRaWAN (long-range low-power)
IoT–GIS Integration: Smart City & Precision Agriculture
- IoT–GIS integration: real-time dashboards; smart city applications; precision agriculture; flood monitoring
Practical: Interpolation, Regression, RF/SVM/ANN in Python, IoT GIS
- Practical: IDW/Kriging/Spline interpolation in QGIS/ArcGIS; linear & logistic regression in Python (scikit-learn); spatial regression in GeoDa/R; agent-based modelling in NetLogo/Python; RF, SVM, ANN implementation in Python; spatial clustering & hotspot analysis; IoT sensor data visualization in GIS
Supplementary Topics: Geospatial Modelling, AI & ML
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