1. A method for selecting features for representing data comprising the steps of: computing a linear model using training data from the data; using a reliability measure to select a set of features from the linear model to represent the data; gauging a robustness measure of the set of features to represent the data; and responsive to a robustness measure of the set of features exceeding a first threshold, increasing the number of features in the set of features and iterating the steps of using a reliability measure to select a set of features from the linear model to represent the data and gauging a robustness measure of the set of features to represent the data until a preset condition is satisfied.