How hard is the Putnam math competition?

Putnam Math questions are known for being very difficult, and the exam is often seen as one of the most prestigious math competitions for college students in the world. Any student at an American or Canadian university can compete, and they can compete up to four times (once for each year they’re an undergraduate).

How do I prepare for Putnam competition?

The best preparation for the Putnam competition is going over the problems from previous years. Problems (with solutions) can be found on Kiran Kedlaya’s archive. There are also three published books, containing all past problems up to 2000.

How hard are Putnam problems?

Competition layout Each one consists of twelve challenging problems. The competition is considered to be very difficult: it is typically attempted by students specializing in mathematics, but the median score is usually zero or one point out of 120 possible, and there have been only five perfect scores as of 2019.

Has anyone ever scored a 120 on the Putnam?

Among the three top scorers — Sah, Zhang, and Zhu — two earned a nearly perfect score, and one (who prefers not to be named) earned a perfect score of 120 points. This is only the fifth time in Putnam’s history that a test-taker received a perfect score. Competitors were also ranked by participating institution.

What math is needed for Putnam?

The topics cover a range of material in undergraduate mathematics, but most problems require only calculus (MAT 295-296-397), linear algebra (MAT 331), and discrete mathematics (MAT 375).

Is the Putnam harder than the IMO?

Putnam is harder. Putnam has twice more problems than IMO has to be solved in 2/3 of IMO’s time (3 hours compared to 4.5). It’s worth noting that first 2 problems of each contest (there are 2 contests each with 6 problems) are relatively easier than the easiest problem at IMO not taking too much time.

How many questions are on Putnam?

twelve questions
Each of the twelve questions is worth 10 points, and the most frequent scores above zero are 10 points for a complete solution, 9 points for a nearly complete solution, and 1 point for the beginnings of a solution. In earlier years, the twelve questions were worth one point each, with no partial credit given.

What is the format of the Putnam Competition?

The competition consists of two 3-hour sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. During each session, participants work individually on 6 challenging mathematical problems. The Putnam began in 1938 as a competition between mathematics departments at colleges and universities.

Where can I find the 81st Putnam Competition problems and solutions?

The 81st William Lowell Putnam Competition Problems and Solutions are now available to download. Follow the links below to access the PDF files. Problems and solutions starting from the year 2017 can be found on the Putnam Competition Archive page.

What is the Putnam seminar?

This course is a seminar intended for undergraduate students who enjoy solving challenging mathematical problems, and to prepare them for the Putnam Competition. All students officially registered in the class are required to participate in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. Subscribe to the OCW Newsletter Help|Contact Us