University of Kentucky Problem Solving: Virginia Tech and Putnam competitions

Practice Problems

Problem Set for November 11.
Problem Set for October 14.
Problem Set for September 30.
Problem Set for September 17.
Problem Set for September 1.

Try your hand at these problems. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at braun "at" ms "dot" uky "dot" edu. I will post new problems, with solutions, (approximately) every two weeks.

General Information

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: The department needs to compile a list by the end of September of the students who are planning to participate in these competitions. Please let me know (braun "at" ms "dot" uky "dot" edu) if you plan to participate in one or both.

The University of Kentucky Department of Mathematics organizes student teams for two annual mathematical problem solving competitions.

On Saturday, December 5th, 2009, the Mathematical Association of America will administer the annual Putnam problem solving competition.
On Saturday, October 24th, 2009, the Department of Mathematics at Virginia Tech will administer the Virginia Tech problem solving competition.

This website will host regularly updated problems for UK students to work on as practice for these competitions, with a focus on preparation for the Putnam exam. Solutions to the problems will be provided as well.

Both of these competitions are held here at UK. The Virginia Tech competition is held in the morning, from 9-11:30 AM. The Putnam is from 10AM-6PM, including a 2-hour break for lunch (which the department will provide for all participants). Both of these competitions involve students working individually on problems and turning in their solutions, which will be mailed to the administrators of the competition for grading. Results are usually announced in early Spring.

Practice Sessions

In addition to the problems posted on this site, we will have two practice problem sessions.

Monday, October 19, 2009, 5PM-6PM: Practice session for Virginia Tech competition (pizza provided).
Monday, November 30, 2009, 5PM-6PM: Practice session for Putnam competition (pizza provided).

While these practice sessions are not required of participants, it is a very good idea to attend.

Why Participate?

Here are some reasons you might consider participating:

If you are going to graduate school in mathematics, they will notice this (it is a sign of genuine interest in mathematics if you participate).
If you are going to teach high school, your talented students will be doing high school level math competitions and it will be good for you to be able to share personal experiences with them regarding ways they can continue these activities in post-secondary studies.
If you are going to work in industry, companies want people who like to solve problems. I have numerous friends who work for in the financial/actuarial sector, and during their interviews they were asked challenging mathematical brain teasers. This is good practice for such things.
Finally, it is good to wrap your head around a few problems that you are doing for yourself as opposed to for classes. These problems are difficult, interesting, and fun to work on!