I think that your code is fine for the exact problem stated, but can fail in general. For example, if we have 4 people, a, b, c, and d, such that a can only be matched with b or c; b can only be matched with a, c or d; c can only be matched with a or b; and d can only be matched with b, then a matching (a with c and b with d) certainly exists, but (assuming that it searches in lexicographic order) your pseudo-code won't find it.

UPDATE: Nope, I'm wrong, as MidLifeXis points out below. I forgot about the recursive check to see if deleting the candidate match would leave a ‘matchable’ collection.

In reply to Re^4: Gift Exchange Code by JadeNB
in thread Gift Exchange Code by agianni

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