Welcome! This is the official course website^TM for Math 390, Putnam Preparation.  This is a three-credit course for those students interested in practicing solving competition-grade problems.  A typical day in class will consist of reading and discussing proof methods, an introduction to a key mathematical topic, plenty of time for problem solving, and presentation of solutions or partial solutions to the day's problems. We are very thankful for the web publication of compilations of problems from past Putnam preparation courses by Prof. Ravi Vakil at Stanford.

• The book we will be using is Putnam and Beyond, by Răzvan Gelca and Titu Andreescu. (Off-campus link; requires QC library barcode)
• Your grade in this course will be based on your problem write-ups (70%) and class participation (30%).

Class Meetings:

• Week 1: Class meeting, Thursday, September 1 in KY 061. (Problems)
• Discussion of class expectations.
• Topic: Contradiction, Induction, Pigeonhole principle.
• Week 2: Class canceled on Thursday, September 8.
• Instead, please try to attend QUANTUM day at York College on Saturday, September 10.
• Week 3: Class meeting, Thursday, September 15 in KY 061. (Problems)
• Topic: Invariants and monoinvariants.
• Week 4: Class meeting, Thursday, September 22 in KY 061. (Problems)
• Topic: Linear recurrences and determinants.
• No class on Thursday, September 29, college closed.
• Week 5: Class meeting, Thursday, October 6 in KY 061. (Problems)
• Topic: Number Theory.
• Week 6: Class meeting, Thursday, October 13 in KY 061. (Problems)
• Topic: Combinatorics.
• Week 7: Class meeting, Thursday, October 20 in KY 061. (Problems)
• Topic: Generating Functions.
• Week 8: Class meeting, Thursday, October 27 in KY 061. (Problems 313–379 from Putnam and Beyond)
• Topic: Sequences and Series. 
• Week 9: Class meeting, Thursday, November 3 in KY 061. (Problems and Problems 7-11 and Problems 404–424 from Putnam and Beyond)
• Topic: Continuity and Differentiability. 
• Week 10: Class meeting, Thursday, November 10 in KY 061. (Problems 1-6 and Problems 444–452, 465–472, 480–492 from Putnam and Beyond)
• Topic: Riemann Sums, Integrals. 
• Week 11: Class meeting, Thursday, November 17 in KY 061. (Problems 590–602 and 646–672 from Putnam and Beyond)
• Topic: Discrete Geometry and Trigonometry. 
• Announcement: You are invited to the Math Colloquium at 12:15 in Kiely 323.
• Week 12: Class meeting, Tuesday, November 22 in KY 061. (Thursday schedule on a Tuesday.)
• Topic: Putnam Strategy
• Week 13: Class meeting, Thursday, December 1 in KY 061.
• Topic: Practice Putnam Examination.
• Announcement: You are invited to the Math Colloquium on Wednesday, November 30 at 12:15 in Kiely 061.
• Putnam Examination: Saturday, December 3 from 10am–1pm and 3pm–6pm in KY 508.
• Week 14: Class meeting, Thursday, December 8 in KY 061.
• Recap of Putnam Examination.

Office hours:

Prof. Chris is happy to help you prepare for your in-class presentations or answer other questions during his office hours.  See his schedule for available times.  You are also welcome to make an appointment at any time.

Related links:

• List of recent past Putnam problems
• Answers the question: "What is aibohphobia?"

Putnam Preparation classes at other schools:

• Stanford
• Cornell
• University of British Columbia