The spatial data model is accompanied by a group of natural language relationships between geometric objects – contains, intersects, overlaps, touches, etc. – and a theoretical framework for understanding them using the 3×3 matrix of the mutual intersections of their component point sets [3]: the DE-9IM. A comprehensive review of the relationships in terms of the DE-9IM is found in[ 4 ]and will not be reiterated in this manual.

空间数据模型有一组与自然语言相对应的几何对象相互关系——包含（contains）、相交（intersects）、重叠（overlaps）、接触（touches）等。另外还包含一个理解它们的理论框架DE-9IM（DE九交模型），使用它们的组成点集的相互交叉的3×3矩阵。对DE-9IM关系的全面回顾可在本手册中找到，不再赘述。