Putnam Competition

The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, orchestrated by the Mathematical Association of America, is an annual competition for undergraduate students awarding cash prizes ranging from $25,000 to $5,000 and scholarships. It takes place on a Saturday in December, consisting of two three-hour sittings with a lunch break. Problems posed are elementary, usually requiring no knowledge of mathematics beyond second-year calculus, but will completely stump anyone whose knowledge is mere rote. Cleverness, insight, and quick thinking are needed. Many contestants have gone on to become distinguished researchers in mathematics and other fields. A number of them have received the Fields Medal or the Nobel Prize in Physics.

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William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition