#13: How math can help you find a partner

Applying "the secretary problem" to your decision making process

Hey friends,

In this edition, I talk about:

• a rational way to make important decisions

• the new social media app from Meta

• 3 tweets I liked

• 16 lessons from 16 years of Tech

• a movie recommendation: Air

1/ How math can help you find a wife: the Secretary problem

This week I remembered a book I read a couple of years ago, called “Algorithms to live by”, written by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths.

The book examines algorithms and concepts from computer science and looks at how they can provide insights into human decision-making and rationality.

One algorithm I found really useful is called the Secretary problem. But what is it?

The secretary problem is an interesting mathematical puzzle that can provide insights into decision-making. It goes like this:

You are hiring a secretary from a set of n candidates interviewed sequentially in random order. After each interview, you must immediately decide whether to hire that candidate, without knowing the merits of future candidates. If you hire a candidate…