# Kidney Exchange in Dynamic Sparse Heterogenous Pools

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1301.3509 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1301.3509/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 15 Jan 2013.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Matching Algorithms for Blood Donation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.04862/) (2021)
- [An ODE Model for Dynamic Matching in Heterogeneous Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.09757/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Current kidney exchange pools are of moderate size and thin, as they consist of many highly sensitized patients. Creating a thicker pool can be done by waiting for many pairs to arrive. We analyze a simple class of matching algorithms that search periodically for allocations. We find that if only 2-way cycles are conducted, in order to gain a significant amount of matches over the online scenario (matching each time a new incompatible pair joins the pool) the waiting period should be "very long". If 3-way cycles are also allowed we find regimes in which waiting for a short period also increases the number of matches considerably. Finally, a significant increase of matches can be obtained by using even one non-simultaneous chain while still matching in an online fashion. Our theoretical findings and data-driven computational experiments lead to policy recommendations.