Putnam Competition Information

NEWS

Honors program offers a NEW class HPR 321 Putnam Seminar (Honors Tutorial in Mathematics) in Fall 2008. It is a 3-credit honors class that serves to improve ones skills in creative problem solving. Follow this link to the course home page.

What is the Putnam Competition?

The Putnam Exam is a nationwide competetive exam given yearly to full-time undergraduates (all majors are welcome) in the United States and Canada. It is voluntary, and problems are presented with clever and ingenious solutions.

What is the format of this test?

The Putnam Exam consists of two parts, each containing six problems. Contestants are given 3 hours to work on each part. The first session runs from 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m., and the second from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.on the same day. You are not allowed to bring notes, books, or calculators.

When is it?

The competition is held on the first Saturday of December every year; this year, it is December 6, 2008.

What topics are covered on the Putnam Competition?

Geometry, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, linear algebra, combinatorics (counting), probability, number theory, complex numbers, differential equations, to name a few. Often, you will have to figure out what topic to use to answer a certain problem. The committee claims that every section contains two problems which only require algebra and cleverness, so you shouldn't be intimidated by this list.

How does the scoring work?

Each problem is worth 10 points, so you can potentially get 120 points. Partial credit is given, but typically this means 0, 1, 9, or 10 points for a problem. The median is usually 0 or 1 points. (That is, at least half of the students taking the test don't get any problems right.)

What's my motivation?

Taking on an intellectual challenge. And you can even bring glory to URI: We are allowed to choose three students beforehand, whose total score will make up URI's team score.

How can I prepare?

Sign up for HPR 321 Putnam Seminar (Honors Tutorial in Mathematics). It is a 3-credit honors class that serves to improve ones skills in creative problem solving. Follow this link to the course home page.

Where can I go for more information?

The Putnam Competition has a homepage. Old tests can be found at the archive at UNL. Here are some more links concerning mathematics competitions and problems:

How do I sign up?

If you are interested or just want to find out more information, do not hesitate to send e-mail to Lubos Thoma (thoma AT math.uri.edu) or stop by Tyler Hall Room 214. The sooner you start, the easier you find the problems on the competition. If interested, you need to contact him by the beginning of October 2008.