Calculating the perfect marriage

The professor claims to be able to predict marriage success

Delegates at a conference in Dundee have heard how mathematics can determine the fate of a marriage.

Professor James Murray from the University of Washington believes he has formulated a model which can predict the chances of staying with a chosen partner.

He claims data from a couple's conversations, converted into algebra, is 94% accurate in determining how long a couple will remain wed.

Professor Murray, who creates a graph of their conversations, believes it could eventually be used to predict the likelihood of divorce.

He explained that phrases used by a couple in conversation are given a numerical value with the range being from minus four to plus four.

So, a reference to a partner "being stupid" would be scored as minus four, but a joke which results in laughter from a partner would be scored as plus two.

He said: "For each conversation slot we get a number and over time we get a graph of how they are interacting."

The maths we are using could be done by secondary school pupils with basic algebra Prof James Murray

Prof Murray explained that the information for the graph is collated when couples, who are planning to get married, are brought into a lab and there conversation is assessed for 15 minutes.

He added: "We use a scoring system on their reactions and represent their reactions with algebraic terms.

"Against time evolution, we can work out if they are likely to stay together or if they are more likely to divorce.

"Maths provides a language for interpreting the human interaction. It quantifies one person's effect on the other, and it is not difficult.

"The maths we are using could be done by secondary school pupils with basic algebra. Once they are shown the basic model, they insert their data and make the simple calculation."

Those taking part are shown a video of how they interacted with a view to how compatible they will be in the future.