Threes speed dating algorithm
Jan. 27th, 2016 02:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackMy latest thought is, I expect to be able to get a close-to-optimal matching for N=2n or 2n+1 people in n rounds of N/3 groups of 3, when N is a multiple of 3.
But if we have exactly enough groups that each person meets each other, that relies on each group of 3 in each round, all 3 pairs not having met before. So maybe the right algorithm is for each round, "randomly generate groups of three where all 3 pairs haven't met before, made of people not already placed this round". And as soon as you can't, back up a round or more and try again. That guarantees permuting when we need to, as soon as we need to. And I sort of hope that when things work in the middle, they'll "just work" for the last few rounds but I don't know if they will.
However, I'm away until Sunday so I probably won't have a chance to try it. Anyone else interested enough to have a go?
But if we have exactly enough groups that each person meets each other, that relies on each group of 3 in each round, all 3 pairs not having met before. So maybe the right algorithm is for each round, "randomly generate groups of three where all 3 pairs haven't met before, made of people not already placed this round". And as soon as you can't, back up a round or more and try again. That guarantees permuting when we need to, as soon as we need to. And I sort of hope that when things work in the middle, they'll "just work" for the last few rounds but I don't know if they will.
However, I'm away until Sunday so I probably won't have a chance to try it. Anyone else interested enough to have a go?