Gale-Shapley Algorithm

The Gale-Shapley algorithm solves the stable marriage problem: how to match two groups (e.g., medical residents to hospitals, students to schools) such that no pair prefers each other to their assigned partners. Introduced by David Gale and Lloyd Shapley in 1962, the algorithm guarantees a stable matching in polynomial time through a deferred acceptance process where one side proposes sequentially and the other side responds, revising choices as better options arrive.