PURPOSE: To provide a vector processor which is suitably used for a personal communicator and PDA which processes handwritten inputs written with a pen and/or voice inputs.

CONSTITUTION: A digital pattern discriminating vector processor 10 which is used for processing at least two input data vectors in parallel with each other incorporates the individual components of first input data vectors and a shifter and buffer 12' for arranging the components. The arranged data vectors are inputted to an arithmetic processing unit 20 composed of a plurality of processing elements constituting a single instruction multi-data processor array and one operations selected from a plurality of operations against the arranged pair of the input vectors are simultaneously executed. The data representing the results of the operations of the processor 10 are repositioned so that an output data vector can become coincident with the arrangement of the plurality of components of the input data vectors.