LONDON(Reuters) - A mathematician says he can predict with 94% accuracy the probability of a given pair of newlyweds staying together. Professor James Murray of the University of Washington says the two formulae he devised were based on a 10-year study of 700 American couples.

　　A psychologist observed each couple during a 15-minute conversation shortly after their marriage, Murray said. A couple's ability to communicate on subjects such as sex, child rearing or money was measured using a scale that gave positive points for good signals, such as smiles and affectionate gestures, and negative points for bad signals, such as rolling of the eyes, mocking and coldness. "We used an accepted psychological scoring system to award them points, such as minus three for scorn and plus two for humor," Murray told the DailyTelegraph of London.

　　The points were then converted into algebraic terms enabling the study's authors to make divorce projections. With the data two equations were then computed -- one for the husband and one for the wife. The couples were checked every two years and the model predicted which marriages failed with almost complete accuracy.