Graph Theory37 sections · 1633 units
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Online Bipartite Matching

(Nodes arrive over time)

Online bipartite matching means vertices in RR arrive one at a time, and you must match them immediately without future knowledge. The greedy algorithm (match to any available vertex in LL) gives a 1/21/2 competitive ratio. It guarantees at least half the optimal matching size.

The RANKING algorithm (assign random priorities to LL, match to highest available) achieves 11/e0.6321 - 1/e \approx 0.632 competitive ratio. This is used in ad allocation and online marketplaces.