William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition

The William Lowell Putnam Competition is are an annual prestigious mathematics competition among students in the U.S. and Canada. The competition is organized by the Mathematical Association of America.

There are both men of the universities as well as single winner ( the top five participants Putnam Fellows are ) counted. The prizes vary, but are usually at several thousand dollars ( in recent years received the first team $ 25,000 and the team members 1000, the next four teams correspondingly less, the top five participants per $ 2,500 ). One of the Putnam Fellows also receives a grant from the Putnam Foundation to study at Harvard.

The competition is named after the founder William Lowell Putnam (died 1935) named and has been held since 1938. The participants from colleges and universities may have not yet acquired Degree ( undergraduate ). Even high school graduates are allowed to participate, each participant but a maximum of four times. Exams take place at the respective universities and take two three hours in the morning and afternoon. Twelve problems have to be solved.

For the best female participants, there is also the Elizabeth Lowell Putnam Prize.

The test, about 2,000 students participate in the, takes place every year on the first Saturday in December.