Fingerprint Matching

Introduction

Fingerprint Matching is a biometric technique to identify indivuals or assert their claimed identity by means of their fingerprint patterns. It is generally believed that fingerprints posess the two requirements necessary for use as a biometric criterion:

• They are long-term stable and usually not affected by small injuries. For the most common types of injuries (slight cuts and minor burns) the human skin is known to recreate the original fingerprint pattern while repairing the harmed surface.
• They are intricate and it's therefore very unlikely that two persons ever share exactly the same pattern. What is more: experience shows that a small amount (usually 12 to 18) of minute details (minutiae, see below) are sufficient to reliably distinguish different persons.