A set of techniques for analyzing spatial data
Spatial analysis is a set of methods whose results whose results depend on the locations of the objects being analyzed. Software that implements spatial analysis techniques requires access to both the locations of objects and their attributes.
It includes a broad range of tools and techniques, many of which are now incorporated into all modern GIS software packages. Examples are: basic geometric, querying and distance-based operations, surface and field analysis, network and location analysis geocomputational methods and modeling, and spatial statistics.
The on-line version of the book "Geospatial Anlaysis - a comprehensive guide" by De Smith, Goodchild and Longley is a good introduction to spatial analysis.
