New formula shows the best age to propose

Mathematicians Prof. Anthony Dooley and Prof. Bruce Brown have designed the formula with men in mind, but it could also assist women, including those who are not sure whether to accept a proposal. Men might also find it useful, in case they want to avoid commitment.

The formula is based on a statistical technique known as optimal stopping, e.g. the best time to do something, reports the Daily Mail.

Professor Bruce Brown said the formula was a 'reasonable approach' unwittingly followed by many young men, including himself.

Talking about himself in the third person, Professor Brown said: 'As for the author, he can tell you that, looking back and doing some calculations, he did follow the marriage solution, albeit by accident, and it has worked out perfectly.'

Here's the magic formula:

1. Choose the oldest age by which you want to get married, e.g. 39. Call this "n"
2. Decide the earliest age at which you'd want to settle down, e.g. 20. Call this "p"
3. Subtract "p" from "n" (39-20), multiply the result by 0.368. This equals 6.992
4. Add this to "p" to give an optimal proposal age of 27.