1. An object classification system having a computer, a digital image data source, a machine readable pattern recognition code encoded in the computer for interpreting digital image data and for characterizing images represented by the digital image data from said digital image source as a multi-dimensional descriptor vector for classification of objects using a knowledge database, and a machine readable code for automatically generating the knowledge database, the classifier comprising: a) a memory which stores in computer readable form a plurality of descriptor vectors derived from a plurality of training images, each respective one of the training images including a predetermined classification code to permit separating the descriptor vectors into a plurality of class clusters; b) a similarity matrix stored in a computer memory, said similarity matrix containing similarity values as between all of said descriptor vectors to permit identifying a first least similar descriptor vector and a most similar descriptor vector in each class cluster as compared to all other class clusters to thereby provide at least two inter-class extreme points for each class cluster, and to permit identifying a second least similar descriptor vector from a selected extreme point within a class cluster to thereby permit selecting said least similar descriptor vector as an intra-class extreme point; c) an extreme point balancer which eliminates redundant extreme points from a class cluster.