January 28, 2014 -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- With Valentine's Day creeping up on the calendar once again, it's easy to feel you're the only one that's not about to be whisked away to a swanky London hotel or treated to slap-up meal for two. As Professor Tony Mann prepares for his upcoming lecture The Mathematics of Computer Dating, LondonTown.com caught up with him to see if he's got any advice for those seeking love.
1. How do dating agencies pair up their clients?
They generally use mathematics to try to quantify how well suited people are by seeing how much they have in common. [In my lecture,] I shall be talking about a slightly different aspect of the mathematics - how we can find partnerships where neither partner will be tempted to stray!
2. What can online daters learn from this talk?
They will learn a little bit about how, in theory, different strategies for assigning partners favour one gender rather than the other, and we will discuss whether the theory has lessons for real-life matching. They may also learn about the power of online dating in helping one meet potential partners one would never have met otherwise.
3. So, is there a mathematical formula to true love?
Mathematics is so powerful that it can describe most aspects of life, but although I think mathematics can give us insights into aspects of love, there are still mysteries in true love which I do not think mathematics will ever illuminate. Edward Frenkel, a mathematician who has made a film about a mathematical formula for love, has just written a very nice book 'Love and Math'.
4. Do you think people should generally take a more mathematical approach to dating?
I have friends whose mathematical approach to dating has brought marriage and happiness, but, though I am a great believer in the power of mathematics, I would hesitate to advise people on this point. Calculation and love may not always go together!
Professor Mann with discuss the The Mathematics of Computer Dating at 6pm, 17 February, at Barnard's Inn Hall, EC2A 5HN.
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