Optimization
Optimization is the branch of mathematics that calculates which
decisions will give the most benefit from a limited
resource. This technology is used in settings such as:
- Airline scheduling
- Stock portfolio management
- Mapping driving directions
- Residency matching
- ...and many others
In the paired kidney donation context, the
resource is the
pool of donors, each willing to donate a kidney so that his/her incompatible loved
one can receive a kidney. The
decision is: which incompatible pair should be
matched with which other incompatible pair? Some pairs could be matched with
many different pairs. Instead of haphazardly choosing between these possible
matches, using optimization to guide the choices could mean hundreds more
patients per year will receive a kidney.
Importantly, the solution determined by
Optimized Match can be proven to be the very
best possible for any given criteria; no other decision about which pairs to match could
ever be better.
Optimized Match >>
