66th Annual STS (2006-2007)
Finalists
Richard Matthew McCutchen

MARYLAND
Richard Matthew McCutchen, 17, of Rockville, submitted a theoretical computer science project to the Intel Science Talent Search addressing this problem: What set of rules (collectively known as an algorithm) could be used to assign people to jobs, considering the preferences of each individual and maximizing their happiness? Such an algorithm would allow programmers to write new software matching people and positions. Working mostly at home, Matt tried to solve the problem using a rule known as "least-unpopularity factor matching" to assign many people to many positions even when no "popular matching" options existed. His research eliminated one possibility in the search for an algorithm that would work, and suggested where a suitable one might be found. Matt attends Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, where he heads the computer club. He has won many awards, notably a gold prize at the 2005 International Olympiad in Informatics in Poland. His hobbies include music theory and composition and open source software development. The son of Richard and Rosemary McCutchen, Matt hopes to continue his studies at MIT or CalTech.