35. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure for use by a computer system to identify patterns, each pattern having a set of characteristics, the data structure comprising: for each possible pair of characteristics, a stored probability value that is generated from a total count of that pair of characteristics that occur between each possible pair of sample patterns and from a match count of that pair of characteristics that occur between each possible pair of sample patterns that represent the same pattern, wherein each stored probability value can be retrieved from the data structure by using an indication of the pair of characteristics for that stored probability value, so that the stored probability values can be used to identify patterns.
35. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure for use by a computer system to identify patterns, each pattern having a set of characteristics, the data structure comprising: for each possible pair of characteristics, a stored probability value that is generated from a total count of that pair of characteristics that occur between each possible pair of sample patterns and from a match count of that pair of characteristics that occur between each possible pair of sample patterns that represent the same pattern, wherein each stored probability value can be retrieved from the data structure by using an indication of the pair of characteristics for that stored probability value, so that the stored probability values can be used to identify patterns. 36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein each pattern comprises handwritten strokes.