A perfect partner should come after 11 failed love experiences

Dr. Clio Cresswell, a mathematician of the University of Sydney, said that singles face much better odds if they date, and then reject, 12 potential partners, and then start searching for love. She said that singles face much better odds if they date, and then reject, 12 potential partners, and then start searching for love.

"We're so used to saying 'he's the one' but we've got such an awful track record, with divorce rates so high in many places," she said. "But even in this day and age, where we meet so many people every day, 12 is still a valid number."

Her theory comes to that singles should have at least 12 romantic attachments, which don't necessarily have to involve a physical relationship, to considerably improve their chances for finding their perfect partner.

"This isn't about right or wrong, it's about patterns," Cresswell said. "Mr. or Mrs Right don't just come into our life. We have to work at it."

Cresswell, who has written a book called "Mathematics and Sex" and wants to make maths as accessible and enjoyable as the arts, says her theory is aimed at bringing some rational thought into the often irrational process of falling in love, and should not be confused with relationship advice.