One of the more humorous cases Paulos approaches mathematically is choosing a spouse. To introduce the concept, Paulos writes “There are two approaches to love-- through the heart and through the head. Neither one seems work very well alone, but together... they still don’t work too well.” Although I’d seriously doubt the validity of any relationship advice from Mr. Paulos, he focuses on whether to settle down or try to find a better option. Suppose an eligible bachelor or bachelorette will meet N marriage candidates in their romantic life. In most cases, the best spouse is not in the first 37% of candidates. One should then reject the first 37% and then marry the first ‘heartthrob’ (or perfect spouse) after the initial 37%. This formula only works because the man or woman in question ranks her suitors numerically. In real life, however, interest declines over time and a partner’s strengths and weaknesses cannot be boiled down to one number.
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