Table of Contents
What topics are covered in Putnam?
What topics are covered on the Putnam Competition? Geometry, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, linear algebra, combinatorics (counting), probability, number theory, complex numbers and differential equations, to name a few.
How do I compete in Putnam?
By registering, participants are assigned a Putnam Identification Number (PIN), which they will need in order to participate in the competition on December 4. Faculty members can register as the local supervisor for their institution by clicking here.
What is the Putnam archive?
The Putnam Archive. The William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition is a North American math contest for college students, organized by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). Each year on the first Saturday in December, several thousand US and Canadian students spend 6 hours (in two sittings) trying to solve 12 problems.
Where can I find more information about the Putnam Competition?
Some additional resources concerning the Putnam competition include the following. The MAA official Putnam home pageincludes information about the competition, including exam administration details; an archive of problems and solutionsstarting from 2017; and information about four published compilations of Putnam exams:
Are there any books that help with the Putnam?
Books in a similar vein from the “other” sciences, like Feynman, can be surprisingly helpful as well – the techniques of discovery. The people who did well on the Putnam tend to have experience from high school. My sophomore year in college, I answered 3 questions on the test.
Are there any special Putnam preparation courses?
There were no special Putnam preparation courses, but I did take reading courses (both before the first Putnam attempt and between the two attempts) from a professor whose idea of “reading” was “struggling with problems”. That undoubtedly helped, and I surely learned some more math during the year between my two attempts]