Problem Solving Seminar

The Hillsdale Problem Solving Seminar for Fall 2021 is meeting on Thursdays at 11 in DSC 110B. THERE IS PIZZA. We discuss a variety of problem types and techniques which go beyond the usual academic curriculum, and in particular those which are used on the Putnam and other math competitions. Competitions in which we plan to participate include the following:

• The Michigan Autumn Take Home, is on Saturday, November 6th this year. It is a team competition for 3-person teams and runs from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Here are the problems from a recent exam, and here are problems and solutions from the 2009 exam.

  • The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, aka "the Putnam," scheduled for December 4 this year, from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM and 3:00-6:00 PM. Problems and solutions from the Putnam are punished in the October issue of the American Mathematical Monthly each year; those from the last 20 years can also be found online at the Putnam archive.

  • The Lower Michigan Mathematics Competition, which usually takes place in April. There's no homepage for the competition itself, but problems and solutions from numerous past years are here.