7. A pattern recognition method as in claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a plurality of models differing from each other by having a differing number of elements in a given model data structure; creating said linkage among the plurality of models having the differing number of elements in the given data structure; creating electronically a null hypothesis between at least one model of said plurality of linked models and at least a second model among said plurality of linked models; accumulating electronically evidence to accept or reject said null hypothesis until sufficient evidence is accumulated to reject said null hypothesis in favor of one of said plurality of linked models where the rejection criterion is based at least in part on a measure of the marginal cost for the differing number elements or until a stopping criterion is met; transmitting at least a portion of the electronically accumulated evidence or a summary thereof to accept or reject said null hypothesis to a pattern classifier module.
7. A pattern recognition method as in claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a plurality of models differing from each other by having a differing number of elements in a given model data structure; creating said linkage among the plurality of models having the differing number of elements in the given data structure; creating electronically a null hypothesis between at least one model of said plurality of linked models and at least a second model among said plurality of linked models; accumulating electronically evidence to accept or reject said null hypothesis until sufficient evidence is accumulated to reject said null hypothesis in favor of one of said plurality of linked models where the rejection criterion is based at least in part on a measure of the marginal cost for the differing number elements or until a stopping criterion is met; transmitting at least a portion of the electronically accumulated evidence or a summary thereof to accept or reject said null hypothesis to a pattern classifier module. 10. A pattern recognition method as in claim 7 , wherein the given data structure is a graphical structure and the elements that differ in number are arcs and nodes.