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Whip Out Those Calculators! There’s a New Mathematical Equation For Finding the Perfect Flight!

A professor of Pure Mathematics has developed a formula using variables such as price and travel time to quantify the best flight to book for any given trip.

It can sometimes be difficult to decide exactly which flight to book, as each itinerary has its own advantages and disadvantages. Fortunately for travelers struggling to make a decision, Dr. Eugenia Cheng, a professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield, has devised a mathematical formula to empirically identify the perfect flight to book for any given travel plans.

The formula assigns values to the factors that 2,000 surveyed travelers identified as the most important when selecting a booking: time of day (T), legroom (L) and punctuality (P).

The hope is that by simply plugging in the variables, the equation will eliminate the need to weigh the pros and cons of each flight that is available. Cheng’s formula will be used by the travel site Skyscanner to help users choose the perfect flight. Skyscanner will score flights on its site on a scale of 1 to 20, with 20 being a mathematically perfect flight.

“While you might not find a flight with a score of 20, we think this formula can really help in the search process to compare flight options to see which has the highest flight perfection score,” Skyscanner spokeswoman Mary Porter told Daily Mail.

[Photos: iStock; Skyscanner]

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3 Comments
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sdsearch April 12, 2015

The linked SkyScanner article explains the units. L is capped at 40 inches, btw.

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griftsno1capper April 12, 2015

If you click the link in the article every variable is defined along with an example.

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HMO April 11, 2015

Cool. You just forgot to tell the units for T, L & P. I'm assuming for L are inches, what are the others units?!?