The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition 1985 2000

This third volume of problems from the William Lowell Putnam Competition is unlike the previous two in that it places the problems in the context of important mathematical themes. The authors highlight connections to other problems, to the curriculum and to more advanced topics. The best problems contain kernels of sophisticated ideas related to important current research, and yet the problems are accessible to undergraduates. The solutions have been compiled from the American Mathematical Monthly, Mathematics Magazine and past competitors. Multiple solutions enhance the understanding of the audience, explaining techniques that have relevance to more than the problem at hand. In addition, the book contains suggestions for further reading, a hint to each problem, separate from the full solution and background information about the competition. The book will appeal to students, teachers, professors and indeed anyone interested in problem solving as a gateway to a deep understanding of mathematics.

This third volume of problems from the William Lowell Putnam Competition is unlike the previous two in that it places the problems in the context of important mathematical themes. The authors highlight connections to other problems, to the curriculum and to more advanced topics. The best problems contain kernels of sophisticated ideas related to important current research, and yet the problems are accessible to undergraduates. The solutions have been compiled from the American Mathematical Monthly, Mathematics Magazine and past competitors. Multiple solutions enhance the understanding of the audience, explaining techniques that have relevance to more than the problem at hand. In addition, the book contains suggestions for further reading, a hint to each problem, separate from the full solution and background information about the competition. The book will appeal to students, teachers, professors and indeed anyone interested in problem solving as a gateway to a deep understanding of mathematics.

The Putnam Competition has since 1928 been providing a challenge to gifted college mathematics students. This book, the second of the Putnam Competition volumes, contains problems with their solutions for the years 1965-1984. Additional solutions are presented for many of the problems. Included is an essay on recollections of the first Putnam Exam by Herbert Robbins, as well as appendices listing the winning teams and students from 1965 through 1984. This volume offers the problem solver an enticing sample of challenging problems and their solutions. In 1980, the MAA published the first William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition book, covering the contest from 1938 to 1964. In 2002 the third of the Putnam problem books appeared, covering the years 1985 through 2000. All three of these books belong on the bookshelf of students, teachers, and all interested in problem solving.

Back by popular demand, the MAA is pleased to reissue this outstanding collection of problems and solutions from the Putnam Competitions covering the years 1938-1964. Problemists the world over, including all past and future Putnam Competitors, will revel in mastering the difficulties posed by this collection of problems from the first 25 William Lowell Putnam Competitions.

This book takes the reader on a journey through the world of college mathematics, focusing on some of the most important concepts and results in the theories of polynomials, linear algebra, real analysis, differential equations, coordinate geometry, trigonometry, elementary number theory, combinatorics, and probability. Preliminary material provides an overview of common methods of proof: argument by contradiction, mathematical induction, pigeonhole principle, ordered sets, and invariants. Each chapter systematically presents a single subject within which problems are clustered in each section according to the specific topic. The exposition is driven by nearly 1300 problems and examples chosen from numerous sources from around the world; many original contributions come from the authors. The source, author, and historical background are cited whenever possible. Complete solutions to all problems are given at the end of the book. This second edition includes new sections on quad ratic polynomials, curves in the plane, quadratic fields, combinatorics of numbers, and graph theory, and added problems or theoretical expansion of sections on polynomials, matrices, abstract algebra, limits of sequences and functions, derivatives and their applications, Stokes' theorem, analytical geometry, combinatorial geometry, and counting strategies. Using the W.L. Putnam Mathematical Competition for undergraduates as an inspiring symbol to build an appropriate math background for graduate studies in pure or applied mathematics, the reader is eased into transitioning from problem-solving at the high school level to the university and beyond, that is, to mathematical research. This work may be used as a study guide for the Putnam exam, as a text for many different problem-solving courses, and as a source of problems for standard courses in undergraduate mathematics. Putnam and Beyond is organized for independent study by undergraduate and gradu ate students, as well as teachers and researchers in the physical sciences who wish to expand their mathematical horizons.

This book is directed at mathematicians interested in Diophantine approximation and the theory of quadratic forms and the relationship of these subjects to Markoff and Lagrange spectra. The authors have gathered and systemized numerous results from the diverse and scattered literature, much of which has appeared in rather inaccessible Russian publications. Readers will find a comprehensive overview of the theory of the Markoff and Lagrange spectra, starting with the origins of the subject in two papers of A. Markoff from 1879-80. Most of the progress since that time has occurred in the last 20 years or so, when there has been a resurgence of interest in these spectra. The authors provide an excellent exposition of these developments, in addition to presenting many proofs and correcting various errors in the literature.

The William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition is the most prestigious undergraduate mathematics problem-solving contest in North America, with thousands of students taking part every year. This volume presents the contest problems for the years 2001-2016. The heart of the book is the solutions; these include multiple approaches, drawn from many sources, plus insights into navigating from the problem statement to a solution. There is also a section of hints, to encourage readers to engage deeply with the problems before consulting the solutions.The authors have a distinguished history of en.

This 2004 book presents a fascinating collection of problems related to the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality and coaches readers through solutions.