Finance & economics | Free exchange

Optimising romance

To find true love, it helps to understand the economic principles underpinning the search

DATING is a treacherous business. There may be plenty of fish in the sea, yet many are unhygienic, self-absorbed, disconcertingly attached to ex-fish, or fans of Donald Trump. Digital dating sites, including a growing array of matchmaking apps, are meant to help. Their design owes more to hard-nosed economics than it does to the mysteries of the heart.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Optimising romance”

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