Halmos Students Compete in Annual Mathematical Contest
From left, Triet Do, Diana Dancea, Cristina Perez and Heidi Hellenbrand
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center (HCAS) participated in the 84th Annual William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition.
This is the second year we have competed in this event, the preeminent mathematics competition for undergraduate college students in the United States and Canada. As it does each year, 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 exam is colloquially known as the world’s most challenging math exam. While the exam has a maximum score of 120 points, in many years the median score among the more than 3000 competitors (all of whom excel in advanced mathematics) is between 0 and 3. The exam is done individually, but a university’s highest three scores get combined to make up a team score. Awards are handed out to both individuals and teams. The exam is underwritten and overseen by the Mathematical Association of America.
Our Putnam Exam team practiced hard for the past year under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, Radleigh Santos, Ph.D. Santos taught MATH 3990 Competitive Mathematics Seminar, a one credit course students could take to prepare for the exam.
Posted 12/10/23