The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition occurs annually. Students entering the competition take an examination consisting of twelve very challenging and delightfully entertaining mathematics problems. The competition is offered the first Saturday of each December by the Mathematics Association of America. Participants are given six problems to work on from 9 am until noon and an additional six problems to work on from 2 pm until 5 pm.
Students completing only one of the twelve problems usually have a great feeling of accomplishment.
A student might consider entering the Putnam competition with as little as one semester of Calculus training. A student can take the examination as many as four times, so all mathematics majors should consider entering the competition at least once. The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater participates in the Putnam competition annually. Occasionally, one of our students is listed among the top participants in the country. For further information about the Putnam Competition and about possible coaching sessions to prepare for participation, contact Dr. Jonathan Kane .