"Should I break up with my girlfriend? Will I find another?" Or: An Algorithm for the Forecasting of Romantic Options

Abstract

The prospect of finding love may be scary but the prospect of committing to a relationship for the rest of your life is almost certainly scary. The secretary problem is a parallel to romantic decision making where an individual decides when to be satisfied with a selection choice in the face of uncertain future options. However, the secretary problem and its variations still do not provide a practical solution in a world where individual preference, goals, and societal context create a highly complex space of values that factor into decision making. In light of these complexities, we offer a general process that can determine the value of romantic options in a highly personal context. This algorithm is currently being developed into a service that will be available in 2015 for the general public.