Abstract:
A method of comparing a first representation of an identifier with a second representation of an identifier, for instance two fingerprints is provided. The method includes selecting a plurality of features in the first representation of an identifier, such as minutia, and linking each feature to one or more of the other features. The information on the features, such as is the minutia type, and on the link or links, such as distance, can then be expressed as a vector. By comparing the vector for the first representation with a vector for the second representation information on the possibilities for them having a common source can be obtained.