The formula for love: how maths (and Asda) can help you secure a “yes” this Valentine’s Day

As Valentine’s Day approaches, romantics everywhere are preparing for the pinnacle of romantic gestures: the proposal. To help reduce those pre-proposal jitters and increase the chance of a fairy-tale ending, Asda’s experts have developed the formula for achieving that coveted “yes” whilst in your very own home.

Dr Tom Crawford, a mathematician from Oxford University, is the mastermind behind this long-awaited formula. Based on an Asda survey of 2,000 people, he claims four key factors are essential to proposal success during a home-prepared dinner: meal timing (M), proposal timing (T), planning duration (P) and the cost of the engagement ring (C).

The survey results reveal that the optimum time to start your Valentines Day meal is 8:06pm; the proposal should occur between the main and dessert courses; the perfect amount of planning is 68 days; and the ideal cost of a ring should be around 2.5 months of your salary.

But it’s not all about numbers and timing. Dr Crawford’s formula also includes bonus points for heartfelt speeches, romantic ambiance and good music. Conversely, distractions including phones, burnt food and unruly kids can swiftly derail your prospects of securing that “I do”.

Asda is offering a £100 voucher to any hopeless romantics who can prove that they secured their “yes” using Dr Crawford’s formula on Valentines Day and Asda’s Valentines Day dine-in meal options.

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