Matchmaking : How similar is what I want to what I get

We introduce matchmaking as a specific setting for similarity assessment. While in many domains similarity assessment is between pairs of entities with equal status, this is not true for matchmaking in general. Usually, in matchmaking there exists a source request which triggers search for the most similar set of available entities. Whether an entity is acceptable depends highly on the application domain. We describe a specific scenario where elderly people request support or companionship for activities away from home. The focus is primarly based on neighbourly help, like helping someone to carrying his or her shoppings, finding someone else to enjoy a performance or simply for taking a walk around the block. The scenario is used to formulate requirements for a matchmaking framework and for the matchmaking service.