1. An equalization method, comprising the steps of: (i) generating an equalizer output signal {z.sub.k } from a channel output signal {y.sub.k } and a series of updates of an equalizer tap coefficient vector .theta., the signal {y.sub.k } being obtained from a communications channel having as input a source signal {x.sub.k } having symbols drawn from an alphabet A either assumed or known to be distributed according to a predetermined probability density function (PDF) p.sub.x ( ); (ii) generating a decision output signal {z.sub.k } from the signal {z.sub.k } based on the proximity of each sampled value z.sub.k to a corresponding symbol in A; (iii) continually updating an estimated PDF p.sub.z ( ) according to which the values of the signal { z.sub.k } are estimated to be distributed among the symbols of A, the PDF p.sub.z ( ) being updated in a manner tending to minimize a cost function that measures dissimilarity between the PDF p.sub.x ( ) and the PDF p.sub.z ( ); and (iv) continually updating the vector .theta. in a manner also tending to minimize the cost function.