Spatial data management in database systems: Research directions -- Realms: A foundation for spatial data types in database systems -- A canonical model for a class of areal spatial objects -- Strong integration of spatial domains and operators in a relational database system -- The transformation technique for spatial objects revisited -- A paging scheme for pointer-based quadtrees -- A hierarchical spatial index for cell complexes -- On optimal multiversion access structures -- Concurrent accesses to R-trees -- A spatial data model and a topological sweep algorithm for map overlay -- An optimal quadtree translation algorithm -- Database support for multidimensional discrete data -- From extensible databases to interoperability between multiple databases and GIS applications -- Interoperability of spatial and attribute data managers: A case study -- GeO2: Why objects in a geographical DBMS? -- A small set of formal topological relationships suitable for end-user interaction -- Qualitative and topological relationships in spatial databases -- Topological relations between regions in ?2 and ?2 -- Query- adaptive data space partitioning using variable-size storage clusters -- A storage and access architecture for efficient query processing in spatial database systems -- Query processing of spatial objects: Complexity versus redundancy -- The SEQUOIA 2000 project -- Neighborhood query and analysis with GeoSAL, a spatial database language -- Application of a reciprocal confluence tree unit to similar-picture retrieval -- Deduction and deductive databases for geographic data handling -- Representing expectations in spatial information systems -- Volumes from overlaying 3-D triangulations in parallel -- A declarative, object-oriented interface to a solid modeler -- Indexing on spherical surfaces using semi-quadcodes.

The Third International Symposium on Large Spatial Databases (SSD '93) was held at the National University of Singapore in June 1993. The previous meetings of the series were at Sanata Barbara (1989) and Zurich (1991). The meetings are planned as a forum for researchers and practitioners specializing in database theory for and advanced applications of Spatial Information Systems. This volume constitutes the proceedings of the symposium. It contains 25 selected papersand three keynotes papers: "Spatial data management in database systems: research directions" (W. Kim), "From extensible databases to interoperability between multiple databases and GIS applications" (H.-J. Schek), and "The SEQUOIA 2000 project" (M. Stonebraker). The selectedpapers are collected into sections on: data modeling, spatial indexing, indexing mechanisms, handling of raster and vector data, spatial database systems, topology, storage management, query retrieval,knowledge engineering in SDS, and 3-dimensional data handling.