Sunday, October 13, 2024

Stable matching in Scientific American

 Here's a short article in Scientific American, describing the deferred acceptance algorithm and mentioning some uses for stable matching. (When I was a child, Scientific American opened a window on science for me...)

The ‘Stable Marriage Problem’ Solution Underpins Dating Apps and School Admissions. An elegant matchmaking algorithm called Gale-Shapley can find the best possible pairings for everybody.   By Max Springer

"Let’s create a reality dating show unlike any other in one key aspect. First, we’ll rent a villa on a tropical island. Then we’ll fly in five men and five women, each with their own (heterosexual) dating preferences. Our goal, though, is the exact opposite of the Love Island franchise: we want absolutely zero drama. Can we ensure that everyone pairs off with a partner and sticks with them, without jealousy rearing its ugly head?" 

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Along the way they briefly quote these luminaries (in the order in which they appear): 

Vijay Vazirani, Jon Kleinberg, Utku Ünver, and Éva Tardos.

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