The Calculus of Happiness : How a Mathematical Approach to Life Adds Up to Health, Wealth, and Love

How math holds the keys to improving one's health, wealth, and love life What's the best diet for overall health and weight management? How can we change our finances to retire earlier? How can we maximize our chances of finding our soul mate? In The Calculus of Happiness, Oscar Fernandez shows us that math yields powerful insights into health, wealth, and love. Using only high-school-level math (precalculus with a dash of calculus), Fernandez guides us through several of the surprising results, including an easy rule of thumb for choosing foods that lower our risk for developing diabetes (and that help us lose weight too), simple "all-weather" investment portfolios with great returns, and math-backed strategies for achieving financial independence and searching for our soul mate. Moreover, the important formulas are linked to a dozen free online interactive calculators on the book's website, allowing one to personalize the equations. Fernandez uses everyday experiences--such as visiting a coffee shop--to provide context for his mathematical insights, making the math discussed more accessible, real-world, and relevant to our daily lives. Every chapter ends with a summary of essential lessons and takeaways, and for advanced math fans, Fernandez includes the mathematical derivations in the appendices. A nutrition, personal finance, and relationship how-to guide all in one, The Calculus of Happiness invites you to discover how empowering mathematics can be. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Preface 10 Math Topics Covered by Chapter 14 Part I: A Healthier You Is Just a Few Equations Away 16 CHAPTER 1 How Many Calories Should You Eat Each Day? 18 1.1 The Linear Functions Hidden in Your Diet 19 1.2 The Mathematics of Metabolism 23 1.3 Burn Those Calories! Work Those Quads! 26 1.4 The Calories Required to Digest Food 29 CHAPTER 2 Live Longer (and Be Healthier) by Eating the Right Foods 35 2.1 A Game of Macronutrient Musical Chairs 35 2.2 How to Eat More and Be Healthier: Energy Density 44 2.3 Live Long(er) and Prosper with the Waist-Height Ratio 49 Part II: A Mathematician’s Guide to Managing Your Money 56 CHAPTER 3 Dissecting Your Monthly Budget 58 3.1 The Return of the King (the Linear Function) 59 3.2 To Expenses, and Beyond! 64 3.3 How Many Years Will It Take You to Reach Financial Independence? 77 CHAPTER 4 How to Beat Wall Street at Its Own Game 84 4.1 How to Make 15% a Year, Guaranteed 85 4.2 The Safest Investments 86 4.3 Quantifying Investment Risk and Return 88 4.4 Stocks, Bonds, and the “All-Weather” Portfolio 92 Part III: Looking for Love? There May Be an Equation for That 102 CHAPTER 5 Finding “The 1” 104 5.1 What the Search for Aliens Can Teach You about Finding Your Soulmate 104 5.2 Why Hiring a Secretary Is Like Dating 107 5.3 The Stable Matching Problem 112 CHAPTER 6 Living Happily Ever After with “The 1” 118 6.1 Your Relationship as a Dynamical System 119 6.2 Need Help Making a Joint Decision? There’s an Equation for That 123 6.3 How Psychologists Use Math to Predict Divorce 128 Epilogue 133 Acknowledgments 135 Appendix A: Background Content 136 Appendix 1 138 Appendix 2 143 Appendix 3 145 Appendix 4 156 Appendix 5 158 Appendix 6 159 Bibliography 166 Index 172 What's the best diet for overall health and weight management? How can we change our finances to retire earlier? How can we maximize our chances of finding our soul mate? In The Calculus of Happiness, Oscar Fernandez shows us that math yields powerful insights into health, wealth, and love. Using only high-school-level math (precalculus with a dash of calculus), Fernandez guides us through several of the surprising results, including an easy rule of thumb for choosing foods that lower our risk for developing diabetes (and that help us lose weight too), simple "all-weather" investment portfolios with great returns, and math-backed strategies for retiring earlier and finding our soul mate. Moreover, the important formulas are linked to a dozen free online interactive calculators on Fernandez's website, allowing one to personalize the equations. Fernandez uses everyday experiences--such as visiting a coffee shop--to provide context for his mathematical insights, making the math discussed more accessible, real-world, and relevant to our daily lives. Every chapter ends with a summary of essential lessons and takeaways, and for advanced math fans, Fernandez includes the mathematical derivations in the appendices. A nutrition, personal finance, and relationship how-to guide all in one, The Calculus of Happiness invites you to discover how empowering mathematics can be.