LambdaGEO
UFMA · Computer Engineering · Geotechnology & Applied Computing · DisSModel Ecosystem
LambdaGEO is a research group at the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) working at the intersection of Computer Engineering, Geosciences, and Open Science.
We develop reproducible, open-source tools for spatial simulation, semantic data integration, and environmental modeling — and we publish all our teaching materials as free, open books.
How can geospatial models be built so that others can understand, reuse, and trust them?
🌍 The DisSModel Ecosystem
Our flagship research initiative is DisSModel — a modern, Python-native framework for discrete spatial simulation (Cellular Automata, System Dynamics, and Land Use & Cover Change), designed as a modern alternative to TerraME/LUCCME (INPE).
🔗 dissmodel.github.io · GitHub Organization · pip install dissmodel
Built on the Executor Pattern: the same model code runs locally or on cloud clusters without modification. Every experiment records SHA-256 checksums, TOML specs, and Git commits for full reproducibility.
Semantic Web & Geoinformatics
We bridge Linked Open Data (LOD) with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to enable interoperable, FAIR-compliant spatial research:
| Project | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| rdfmapper | Declarative Object-RDF Mapper for Python | GitHub |
| QGISSPARQL | Bridge Triple Stores ↔ QGIS for semantic mapping | GitHub |
| DBCells | Publish spatial modeling data as Linked Data cubes | GitHub |
These projects feed into DisSModel’s provenance layer.
📚 Open Books & Education
We maintain 10 open-access textbooks published with MkDocs + Material and hosted free on GitHub Pages. They cover core topics of an undergraduate Computer Science curriculum plus a specialized geospatial track.
🧭 Computing Track (8 books, organized by prerequisites)
| Series | Books | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 Fundamentos | C para Programadores Python e VisuAlg · Introdução ao Computador | No CS prerequisites — entry point |
| 📙 Núcleo | Estrutura de Dados · Paradigmas de Programação (Java) · Programação Funcional (Haskell/Clojure/Elixir) | After an intro programming course |
| 📗 Avançado | Compiladores (estilo Nand2Tetris) · Engenharia de Software · Tutoriais (Docker, Clojure, Elixir, Haskell) | After Data Structures |
🌍 Geospatial Track (2 companion books)
A didactic textbook and a technical reference, designed to be read together:
| Book | Type | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Geospatial Modeling with Python | Didactic textbook (from scratch) | Learning geospatial Python. Chapters 1–13 are independent of DisSModel. |
| DisSModel Book | Technical reference | Already know DisSModel or migrating from TerraME. API, architecture, migration guide. |
💡 Recommended flow: Read the textbook up to Chapter 14, then consult the DisSModel Book for framework details.
Contributions welcome on both books — see each repository’s guidelines.
🗺️ Research Trajectory
DisSModel did not emerge from a blank slate. It synthesizes two decades of inquiry:
| Period | Project | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–2002 | Terra Translator (XML, ontologies) | Foundation: semantics + open standards for geographic data |
| 2005 | TerraHS (Haskell + GIS) | Vision: scientific models as verifiable, executable artifacts |
| 2007–2010 | TerraME / LuccME (INPE) | Maturity: spatially explicit dynamic models as scientific objects |
| 2015–2024 | DbCells, Linked Data, QGIS plugins | Infrastructure: reproducibility via rich metadata |
| 2024–2026 | DisSModel (Python, FAIR, cloud-native) | Synthesis: same code from CLI to distributed cluster |
Three principles unite this trajectory:
Openness as method · Interoperability as architecture · Reproducibility as requirement
👨🏫 Leadership & Mentorship
Prof. Sérgio Souza Costa
Associate Professor of Computer Engineering, UFMA
Researcher, Graduate Program in Environmental Science & Technology (PPGC&TAmb)
Background: Background: Applied Computing (UFMA); MSc & PhD in Applied Computing (INPE) — research in Geoprocessing & Dynamic Land-Use/Land-Cover Modeling Focus: Reproducible geospatial modeling, functional programming, FAIR data infrastructure
Mentorship Workflow
We use Notion for mentorship, lecture materials, and project tracking:
profsergiocosta.notion.site
Join LambdaGEO
We welcome motivated PIBIC and master’s students interested in:
- Python for scientific computing
- GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis
- Reproducibility, FAIR principles, and open science
- Software engineering for research software
📧 Contact: sergio.costa@ufma.br with a brief note about your background and interests.
🤝 Partners & Affiliations
- UFMA — Federal University of Maranhão
- INPE — National Institute for Space Research (Brazil)
- PPGC&TAmb — Graduate Program in Environmental Science & Technology
📡 Stay Connected
- Research code: github.com/LambdaGeo · github.com/DisSModel
- Documentation: dissmodel.github.io
- Teaching materials: lambdageo.github.io/ebooks
- PyPI:
pip install dissmodel - Email: sergio.costa@ufma.br
“A ciência não deve ser reescrita para ir para a produção.”
(“Science should not need to be rewritten to go into production.”)
— DisSModel Design Principle
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