5. A method for classifying symbols contained in binary encoded image data comprising: extracting a run-length encoded representation of a symbol; determining a stroke width and symbol features of the extracted symbol from the run-length encoded representation; selecting a set of equivalence classes from a dictionary, the dictionary comprising equivalence classes created from previously extracted symbols, wherein each equivalence class is represented by an exemplar, each exemplar comprising templates, and each template comprising information about the exemplar; comparing at least the stroke width of the extracted symbol with the templates of each of the exemplars of each of the set of equivalence classes until a match is found or until all exemplars have been compared with; indicating the extracted symbol is in the equivalence class of the exemplar being compared or creating a new equivalence class based on the comparison, if the comparison yields a match; creating a new equivalence class with said extracted symbol as the exemplar, if the comparison does not yield a match; and adding said new equivalence class to the dictionary.
5. A method for classifying symbols contained in binary encoded image data comprising: extracting a run-length encoded representation of a symbol; determining a stroke width and symbol features of the extracted symbol from the run-length encoded representation; selecting a set of equivalence classes from a dictionary, the dictionary comprising equivalence classes created from previously extracted symbols, wherein each equivalence class is represented by an exemplar, each exemplar comprising templates, and each template comprising information about the exemplar; comparing at least the stroke width of the extracted symbol with the templates of each of the exemplars of each of the set of equivalence classes until a match is found or until all exemplars have been compared with; indicating the extracted symbol is in the equivalence class of the exemplar being compared or creating a new equivalence class based on the comparison, if the comparison yields a match; creating a new equivalence class with said extracted symbol as the exemplar, if the comparison does not yield a match; and adding said new equivalence class to the dictionary. 10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first set of symbol features comprises symbol height, symbol width and symbol slant.