#216: Romantic Drama Equation explain

TV Romantic Drama Equation (Derived during a series of ‘Queer as Folk’ episodes)

[A table shows equations for possible romantic pairings in a TV show. The equation under “gay” is n(n-1) 2+x(x-n); the equation under “straight” is x(n-x).]

x: Number of male (or female) cast members.

n: total number of cast members.

[A graph plots pairings (for large casts) against cast makeup. Each of the above equations forms a curve. “Gay cast” starts high for an all male cast, dips down at 50/50 cast makeup, and then rises again for all female. “Straight cast” starts at zero for an all male cast, peaks at 50/50 cast makeup, and then drops to zero again for an all female cast. The two curves intersect at two points close to the middle.]