Relationships a mathematically provable tautology wΔz = cov(wi,zi) + E (wi,Δzi)

November 2005

I find myself translating situations in life and daily interactions with people in the form of equations and formulas. While it sounds overly mechanical it some times makes so much more sense then trying to figure things out through emotions or feelings.

For example a covariance equation; the measure of how much two variables vary together.
If two variables tend to vary together (that is, when one of them is above its expected value, then the other variable tends to be above its expected value too), then the covariance between the two variables will be positive.
cov(wi,zi)
So think of your two variables as Joe and Sue, if they vary and lets say Sue is above the expected value, than Joe tends to be over he’s expected value too. Which inevitable will make to two variables positive! On the other hand if they do not vary, and when one of them is above its expected value, the other variable tends to be below its expected value, then the covariance between the two variables will be negative!
So thru this you can understand why some one would say…he/she brings out the best in me and why opposites attract. This also explains why being with the wrong guy/girl can bring you below your value or worth

As in the “Price equation” ; a mathematical description of evolution and natural selection.
Let’s say you like a boy or elements of that boy which are indicated by i. i has qualities which you find attractive and zi being you, together create an evolution we wish to study.
The Price equation states:
wΔz = cov(wi,zi) + E (wi Δ zi)
Where w is the average assessment of i and Δ is the change in he’s character. The term cov(wi,zi) is the covariance (discussed previously) of the characteristics with respect to the assessment of the boy and E(wi Δ zi) is the expectation of the change (negative or positive) in i. In the specific case that the assessment of wi is set to the fitness of zi, then Price's equation reformulates the fundamental theorem of natural selection. Which is why good looking people tend to date other good looking people.

Price's equation is a statement of mathematical fact between you and the boy, and what we get from it, is the insight we often so desperately look for, and we get this by assigning a formula to our "variables".
For example, the statement "the only thing we ever learn from history, is that we never learn from history” which is true by virtue because it is logical. It really isn’t giving us any new information, but it organizes our concepts about life and learning.
Relationships and people are much more complicated and contain way more variables than my use of the Price equation, but I have found that relationships at its core is a mathematically provable tautology.