28. A method in a computer system for identifying an unknown input pattern comprising handwritten strokes, the computer system having a probability table and a plurality of pattern prototypes, each pattern prototype associated with a set of characteristics, a characteristic representing a shape of a stroke, the probability table having a probability value for each of a plurality of comparison values, the method comprising: determining a set of characteristics for the unknown input pattern; for each pattern prototype, comparing the characteristics of the unknown input pattern with the characteristics of the pattern prototype to produce comparison values; retrieving the probability values for the produced comparison values from the probability table; and combining the retrieved probability values to produce a combined probability that the unknown input pattern matches the pattern prototype; and selecting the pattern prototype with the highest combined probability value as identifying the unknown input pattern, wherein the characteristics in each set are ordered by the order in which the strokes are handwritten and each characteristic has a position within the set of characteristics.
28. A method in a computer system for identifying an unknown input pattern comprising handwritten strokes, the computer system having a probability table and a plurality of pattern prototypes, each pattern prototype associated with a set of characteristics, a characteristic representing a shape of a stroke, the probability table having a probability value for each of a plurality of comparison values, the method comprising: determining a set of characteristics for the unknown input pattern; for each pattern prototype, comparing the characteristics of the unknown input pattern with the characteristics of the pattern prototype to produce comparison values; retrieving the probability values for the produced comparison values from the probability table; and combining the retrieved probability values to produce a combined probability that the unknown input pattern matches the pattern prototype; and selecting the pattern prototype with the highest combined probability value as identifying the unknown input pattern, wherein the characteristics in each set are ordered by the order in which the strokes are handwritten and each characteristic has a position within the set of characteristics. 29. The method of claim 28 wherein each stroke has a place within the set of characteristics and wherein a comparison value is generated from a pair of characteristics, a first characteristic of the pair selected from the set of characteristics associated with the unknown pattern and a second characteristic of the pair selected from the set of characteristics associated with the pattern prototype, wherein the first and second characteristics have the same place within the sets of characteristics from which they are selected.