Apparatus storing a presentation of topological structures and methods of building and searching the representation

摘要

A data storage medium storing a representation of a topological structure having topological features, on which is stored a digital data base including a plurality of carrier blocks of data representing the topological features t a given level of detail, each one of the carrier blocks being a representation of a carrier which is a closed set containing in its interior a given topological object. Also disclosed are methods for building the carrier blocks, for building a hierarchy of carrier blocks, and for searching the digital data base at all hierarchical levels.