Method for matching people

A server connected to a wide area network, for matching one or more pairs of persons out of four or more persons, the persons communicating with the server using the wide area network, the server comprising:

• a computer;
• wherein the computer is operated:
• (a) to receive from the four or more persons three or more personal opinions, each personal opinion being an opinion of a certain person on another person of said four or more persons, such that at least one personal opinion of a first person on a second person being absent;
• (b) to calculate from the personal opinions at least a first estimated opinion of said first person on said second person, based on at least a collaborative filtering algorithm, said collaborative filtering algorithm being a method of estimating an estimated opinion of a specific person on a certain object based on;
• (i) a first group of opinions comprising opinions of said specific person on objects other than said certain object;
• and
• (ii) a second group of opinions comprising opinions of persons other than said specific person on said certain object and some of the objects other than said certain object;
• and
• (c) to match said first person and said second person in accordance with the estimated opinion of said first person on said second person and the personal or estimated opinion of said second person on said first person.

A method of matching one or more pairs of persons out of a group of persons to be matched including at least four persons, the method comprising:

• a. receiving from the at least four persons three or more personal opinions, each personal opinion being an opinion of a certain person on another person of the at least four persons, such that at least one personal opinion of a first person on a second person of the at least four persons is absent;
• b. based on at least a collaborative filtering algorithm, calculating from the three or more personal opinions at least a first estimated opinion of the first person on the second person, the first estimated opinion being a likelihood that the first person will have a positive opinion on the second person, said collaborative filtering algorithm being a method of estimating an estimated opinion of a specific person on a certain object based on:
• (i) a first group of opinions comprising opinions of said specific person on objects other than said specific object, and
• (ii) a second group of opinions comprising opinions of persons other than said specific person on said certain object and some of the objects other than said certain object;
• and
• c. facilitating an increase in a number of successful matches of persons from the group of persons to be matched by at least:
• (i) matching said first person and said second person in accordance with the first estimated opinion of said first person on said second person and a personal opinion or an estimated opinion of said second person on said first person, each successful match being a one-to-one match that has or is predicted to have a high likelihood of mutual positive opinion between persons in each successful match;
• and
• (ii) removing two matched users who are included in a successful match from the group of persons to be matched and making one or more additional successful matches from the group of persons to be matched until it is determined that there are no additional successful matches to be found in the group of persons to be matched.

A server connected to a wide area network, for matching one or more pairs of persons out of a group of persons, the group of persons comprising at least four persons, the persons communicating with the server using the wide area network, the server comprising:

• a computer;
• wherein the computer is operated:
• (a) to divide the group of persons to be matched into two or more smaller groups, each of the two or more smaller groups comprising four persons;
• and
• (b) for each of the two or more smaller groups, to perform the following:
• receive from the four persons three or more personal opinions, each personal opinion being an opinion of a certain person on another person of said four persons, such that at least one personal opinion of a first person on a second person is absent;
• to calculate from the personal opinions at least a first estimated opinion of said first person on said second person, based on at least a collaborative filtering algorithm, said collaborative filtering algorithm being a method of estimating an estimated opinion of a specific person on a certain object based on:
• (i) a first group of opinions comprising opinions of said specific person on objects other than said certain object, and
• (ii) a second group of opinions comprising opinions of persons other than said specific person on said certain object and some of the objects other than said certain object;
• and
• to match said first person and said second person in accordance with the first estimated opinion of said first person on said second person and a personal opinion or an estimated opinion of said second person on said first person,
• wherein a processing time for matching pairs of persons for the two or more smaller groups is less than a comparative processing time required for matching the pairs of persons for the group of persons to be matched without first dividing the group of persons into the two or more smaller groups.

A method implemented by a server connected to a wide area network, for matching one or more pairs of persons out of a group of persons, the group of persons comprising four persons, the persons communicating with the server using the wide area network, the method comprising the server performing the following:

• (a) dividing the group of persons to be matched into two or more smaller groups, each of the two or more smaller groups comprising four persons;
• and
• (b) for at least one of the two or more smaller groups, performing the following:
• receiving from the four persons three or more personal opinions, each personal opinion being an opinion of a certain person on another person of said four persons, such that at least one personal opinion of a first person on a second person is absent;
• calculating from the personal opinions at least a first estimated opinion of said first person on said second person, based on at least a collaborative filtering algorithm, said collaborative filtering algorithm being a method of estimating an estimated opinion of a specific person on a certain object based on:
• (i) a first group of opinions comprising opinions of said specific person on objects other than said certain object, and
• (ii) a second group of opinions comprising opinions of persons other than said specific person on said certain object and some of the objects other than said certain object;
• and
• matching said first person and said second person in accordance with the first estimated opinion of said first person on said second person and a personal opinion or an estimated opinion of said second person on said first person,
• wherein a processing time for matching pairs of persons for the two or more smaller groups is less than a comparative processing time required for matching the pairs of persons for the group of persons to be matched without first dividing the group of persons into the two or more smaller groups.