There are a number of pattern recognition problem domains where the classification of an object should be based on more than simply the appearance of the object itself. In remote sensing image classification, where each pixel is part of ground cover, a pixel is more like(cid:173) ly to be a glacier if it is in a mountainous area, than if surrounded by pixels of residential areas. In text analysis, one can expect to find certain letters occurring regularly in particu(cid:173) lar arrangement with other letters(qu, ee,est, tion, etc.). The information conveyed by the accompanying entities is referred to as contextual information.

Before the release of the Willow sequel series for Disney, showrunner Jon Kasdan had stated that the show would take some time in putting Val Kilmer's character of Madmartigan from the original film on screen. The show has taken steps to make sure that the character's presence is felt throughout the series, though, thanks to archive footage from the 1988 film, and also through the recent appearance of Christian Slater as Allagash, a close friend of the hero who crosses paths with the show's young heroes. This past week's episode, "Prisoners of Skellin," manages to bring back Kilmer's character in a different way. As Allagash and the teens look for a magical artifact inside the tomb of Wiggledoom, Kit (Ruby Cruz) hears her father Madmartigan's voice calling to her from somewhere inside the tomb. He doesn't make a physical appearance, as he's trapped in either Skellin (or another dimension that Skellin leads to), but it's looking as though getting him out of there will serve as part of the drive for the season's final two episodes.