Which statement is true about the number of template matches required in verification vs identification?

• A. Verification requires more matches than Identification
• B. Identification requires more matches than Verification
• C. Both require the same number of matches
• D. None of the above

Answer: (B)

In biometric processing, verification is a one-to-one check: you compare the input sample to the single template associated with the claimed identity. Because you’re only verifying against one template, the number of matches (comparisons) involved is limited to that single comparison. Identification, however, is a one-to-many search: you compare the input sample against many templates in a gallery to determine who the person is. With a larger set of templates, you perform many more comparisons to find the best match. So, identifying requires more matches than verification. The other statements don’t fit because verification does not require more matches than identification, and they aren’t usually equal unless the gallery effectively contains only one template.