True Love and the Search for the Perfect Mate

processing java applet, september 2006, jim soliven

900 x 700 applet

"I'm just an object in a mathematical 2D plane that is following programmed behaviors" - That's the conclusion I came up with during an trivial emotional episode. "True Love" is a visual representation of simple rules created to emulate the search for true love. This system is designed with the following behaviors in mind:

• Each person is either Male or Female
• People who are single are in the dating scene
• People who are coupled are outside the dating scene
• A male is always constantly searching for the perfect female partner
• When a male encounters another female in the field, the female is analyzed. If the female is compatible with the male, the two of them gets coupled
• A coupled male will break-up with their partner if he encounters a more compatible single female
• Breaking up and going out are emotional stages that bursts with energy

This translates to the following rules:

• Each object is either Male or Female
• Each Male scrutinizes every female within a fixed N distance
• Each hookup is marked by an explosion of white
• Each breakup is marked by an explostion of black
• Couples' movements are synched and are not random
• A weak force gravitates single objects towards the center
• Coupled objects gravitates away from the center
• Couples are linked via a red line if they are outside the circle of dating
• Couples are linked via a uniquely colored line when they are in the circle

The following are sample results:

The following are images generated when couples are made to have stronger bonds thus less prone to breaking up. The images look less chaotic: