Qualitative distances

A framework for the representation of qualitative distances is developed inspired by previous work on qualitative orientation. It is based on the concept of “distance systems” consisting of a list of distance relations and a set of structure relations that describe how the distance relations in turn relate to each other. The framework is characterized by making the role of the “frame of reference” explicit, which captures contextual information essential for the representation of distances. The composition of distance relations as main inference mechanism to reason about distances within a given frame of reference is explained, in particular under “homogeneous structural restrictions”. Finally, we introduce articulation rules as a way to mediate between different frames of reference.