Homepage for Undergraduate Math Contests at LSU

MATH 3903: Methods of Problem Solving / Problem-Solving Seminar - Fall 2019

Practice Sheets | Resources | Previous Years | LSU History

Putnam Mathematical Competition Results (received February 18, 2020)

Team

115 out of 570 participating institutions

All 5 LSU students scored above national median of 2 points

Individual

Rohin Gilman - 19 points, ranked 585 out of 4229

 

Virginia Tech Regional Math Contest Results (received December 21, 2019)

Individual

Rohin Gilman - 20 points, ranked 112.5 out of 758
Kha Le - 10 points, ranked 232.5

 

 

This page contains information for students interested in undergraduate Mathematics Competitions at LSU. A weekly Problem-Solving Seminar is held each Wednesday evening in order to practice common techniques. Practice helps a great deal in contest mathematics; LSU's best performers each year are usually students who have been attending the Problem-Solving Seminar regularly (click here for more historical data). Students enrolled in MATH 3903 (Methods of Problem Solving) are expected to attend every meeting and meet the requirements described in the Syllabus. See the Flyer for more information on the Seminar.

The Seminar meetings are also open to any undergraduate LSU student interested in participating in mathematics competitions. We work on challenging problems in a fun and informal environment - pizza and soft drinks are provided!

Each year there are two fall competitions, both of which are written exams that take place on the LSU campus (your work will then be mailed for grading).

 

If you are interested in signing up for either contest, please contact Prof. Mahlburg (see below). You can sign up for the contests even if you do not attend the Problem-Solving Seminar. 

Meeting Information

Scheduled Time

Room

Weekly Problem-Solving Practice

W 5:00 - 6:30 P.M.

Lockett 3rd
floor Lounge

Virginia Tech Regional Math Contest

Sun., Oct. 27, 8:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.

Lockett 232

Putnam Exam

Sat., Dec. 7, 8:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Lockett 232

 

Organizer

E-mail

Office

Prof. Karl Mahlburg

mahlburg@math.lsu.edu

Lockett 320

 


Practice Sheets

 


Resources

The following links provide additional material for study, including problems, solutions, strategies, and theory. The best way to improve your problem-solving skills is to practice!

   


Previous Years

There is a large collection of problem sheets available on the seminar websites from previous years:
   
    2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012


Recent Results and Historical Data

A summary of LSU's performance since 2001 is available here. 

Although the national median on the Putnam Competition is typically 0 or 1 points (out of 120), the median at LSU has been at least 2 points almost every year since 2011 (exceeding the national median). Furthermore, the large majority of LSU students since 2011 have earned positive scores.


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