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In this lecture,
we'll discuss how

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analytics and, in
particular, optimization

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is used in online dating.

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Specifically, we'll discuss the
story of the company eHarmony

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that uses optimization
to maximize

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the probability of
a successful match

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between compatible adults.

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The goal of eHarmony is to
take a scientific approach

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to love and marriage and
offer it to the masses

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through an online
dating website focused

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on long term relationships.

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Indicators of
success for eHarmony

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include the fact that nearly
4% of U.S. marriages in 2012

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are a result of eHarmony.

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Furthermore, the company
has generated, by 2009,

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over $1 billion in revenue.

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How is eHarmony different?

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Unlike other online
dating websites,

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eHarmony does not have users
browse other users' profiles.

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Instead, eHarmony uses
a compatibility score

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between two people and uses
optimization algorithms

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to determine the
user's best matches.

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How does eHarmony compute
the compatibility score?

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The score is based on
29 different dimensions

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of personality including
character, emotions, values,

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traits, etc.

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The calculation involves
a 436 questionnaire.

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The matches must
meet at least 25

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out of 29 compatibility areas.

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The graph from eHarmony's
website shown in this slide

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describes one such question
regarding character.

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Let us discuss the
history of the company.

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The founder of the company
is Dr. Neil Clark Warren,

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a clinical psychologist who
counseled couples and began

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to see that many marriages
ended in divorce because couples

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were not initially compatible.

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Warren has written many
relationship books.

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Finding the Love of your
Life, The Triumphant Marriage,

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Learning to Live with the Love
of Your Life and Loving It,

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Finding Commitment,
and many others.

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In the late 1990s,
after more than 35 years

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of work as a clinical
psychologist and marriage

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counselor, Warren decided
to test his theory

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that certain characteristics can
predict compatibility and lead

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to more satisfying
relationships.

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After three years
of research Warren

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developed a model
of compatibility

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that is now the basis of the
company's matching system.

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The service launched its
matching service for singles

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in 2000.

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Since then, the company has
had about 33 million members,

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and as of 2008,
about 15,000 people

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take the eHarmony
questionnaire each day.

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Interested users may fill
out the compatibility quiz,

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but in order to
see matches members

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must pay a membership
fee to eHarmony.

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What is a distinguishing
characteristic of eHarmony?

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While eHarmony was not the
first online dating website

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and faced serious
competition, there

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is a key difference from
other dating websites.

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eHarmony takes a quantitative
optimization approach

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to matchmaking
rather than letting

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users browse their website.

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In this lecture,
we'll explore some

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of the analytics eHarmony uses.