wedding
© Unknown
Scientists believe a mathematical model can determine whether a couple will live happily ever after or end up seeking a divorce.

Researchers claim that their technique has an accuracy of 94 percent and can predict the length of a marital relationship long before problems arise.

Developed by a team of British and American mathematicians, the formula has been tested on 700 newlyweds so far.

The team filmed couples while they discussed contentious issues such as money or in-laws - for 15 minutes and then scored their statements using a points system.

Statements made with humor or affection were given positive points, while those made with anger, coldness, eye rolling or mockery were given negative ones.

The scores were then plotted on a graph and the results were put into a mathematical model used to determine whether the relationship would last.

"If both partners are what we call validators - that is they are calm in discussions, have shared experiences and have shared attitudes - their marriage is stable," said Professor James Murray of Oxford University who helped devise the formula.

"If both partners avoid conflict or confrontation, then that is also stable," he added.

The couples were then tracked over a period of 12 years to see whether their marriages stood the test of time or not, Dailymail reported.

"What astonished me was that a discussion, sometimes highly charged and emotional, could so easily and usefully be encapsulated in what is actually a simple mathematical model of a couple's interaction," said Professor Murray.

"Another surprising result was that marriages can be classified into only five general types, some of which are stable and others not. In fact some couples might as well get divorced right away."