"matching" is a research area in economics and game theory that focuses on the process of pairing individuals or entities in a way that maximizes social welfare or efficiency. This can involve matching students with schools, doctors with patients, or workers with jobs. Researchers in this field study various matching mechanisms, such as the stable marriage algorithm or the Gale-Shapley algorithm, to understand how different matching systems can impact outcomes for participants. Matching theory is used in a variety of real-world settings, such as online dating platforms, medical residency programs, and organ transplant allocation.