Which term describes a collection of rules that define spatial relationships between features?

Topology refers to the collection of rules that define the spatial relationships between features in a geographic information system (GIS). These rules are essential for understanding how different spatial features relate to one another in terms of connectivity, adjacency, and containment. For instance, topology helps to determine whether two features share a boundary (such as a road and a property line), whether one feature is contained within another (like a lake within a park), or if they intersect at any point.

In GIS, maintaining topological integrity is crucial for accurate spatial analysis and data representation. It ensures that spatial relationships are logically consistent, which is vital for tasks such as network analysis, spatial querying, and more complex modeling.

Other terms, such as geocoding, data normalization, and attribute management, refer to different processes or concepts within data management. Geocoding is about converting addresses into spatial coordinates. Data normalization involves organizing data to reduce redundancy and improve integrity, and attribute management concerns how spatial and non-spatial data attributes are handled within a database. None of these terms pertain directly to the rules governing spatial relationships, which is why topology is the appropriate choice.