Are you on the quest to find true love? It is often said that one must kiss a few frogs before meeting a princess.

Well, it would appear this theory is true.

Dr Hannah Fry, a mathematician at University College London, has come up with a formula to find a perfect partner.

She has developed a practical theory for love, which involves ruling out anyone you meet in the first 37 per cent of your dating life.

So, if someone began dating at the age of 16, and hoped to stop at 40 at the latest, then you’ll find true love around the age of 25 – ta-da!

It is suggested that people “get a feel for the marketplace” when they are young before settling down with the “next person that comes along who is better than everyone they have met before”.

Dr Fry has publishing a 116-page book entitled The Mathematics of Love.

Some of her statistically proven tips include always being prepared to approach a would-be mate, finding a similar-looking but slightly less attractive “wingman”, and never cropping one’s faults out of a photograph on an online dating profile.

Speaking at the Oxford Literary Festival, Dr Fry said that looks were not proven to make a difference in finding love.

Ultimately, no one cares if you look like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie. All they care about is how you look compared to everybody else.”

Thus, she suggested finding a similar looking, slightly less attractive friend was the best strategy.