Happy Valentine's Day, DHS!
Results of the Valentine's Day Compatibility Survey

More by Chris Janson - 02/12

This past fall, when eight students ventured into the first Multivariable Calculus course ever offered at DHS, they learned something that had nothing to do with cross products or partial derivatives: Apparently, online dating sites use simple applications of multivariable math principles in their compatibility surveys.

You don’t need to know how to integrate in multiple dimensions to understand the basic theory. Survey-takers rate themselves on a bunch of personality factors, and these responses are gathered into sets of data-points. Using a simple n-dimensional extension of Pythagorean Theorem, matchmakers come up with a “compatibility quotient,“  essentially the distance between the two points that represent any two people. The smaller number, the closer the two points are, and the more compatible the two test-takers are.

The 2012 Valentine’s Day Compatibility Survey was born from this discovery in math room B112. It was cultivated into a completely original, 30-question personality survey for Neirad and promptly distributed this January (remember the pink papers floating around the cafeteria?).

157 pink surveys found their way back into my hands. I digitized these one by one and sent the data to Senior Dillon Lareau, my multivariable classmate, who’s self-developed computer program allowed me to consider over 12000 possible matches in order to discover the very closest.

I’ve combed through the results, just in time for Valentine’s Day. There may not be any snow, but love is in the air. Get ready to meet some of the most secretly compatible pairs at the school!

Here are the Top Ten MOST compatible pairs that the survey came up with:

1. Charlie Baird and Taylor Cockerill (Editor's Note: We heard they filled the survey out together)

2. Matt Collier and Parker Hamill

3. Sean Lee and Amy Biggart

4. Drew Hardin and Sofia Martinez

5. Nick Reynoso and Meredith OttNeirad hearts

6. Dylan Cunningham and Katie Stueber

7. Kevin Koenitzer and Amanda Hutter

8. Tomas Rodriguez-Barberet and Samantha Holek

9. Mike Cortright and Liz Benitez

10. Mitch Losito and Caroline Farrington

Here are the Top 5 LEAST compatible potential matches:

1. Andrew Fletcher and Caroline Ashcraft

2. Blake Lange and Lexi Vierling

3. Cameron Wong and Courtney Ferrera

4. Vinny Puzio and Hillary Conciatori

5. Ryan Gregory and Sarah Terhune


Disclaimer(s): This was an extremely informal survey and results are not meant to reflect positively or negatively on any survey taker. None of its designers are expert staticians or social scientists, so please take its results with a grain of salt. Honestly, don’t stress about the results, they are not meant to be serious.

If you took the survey and want to see who your personal top matches are, please click on the provided link.

Click to see your personal top matches if you took the survey.