You are here

Putnam Competition Announces Top Students in Undergraduate Mathematics

WASHINGTON, DC - The results of the 2018 William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, the pre-eminent mathematics competition for undergraduates in the US and Canada, were announced today. The 79th annual Putnam Competition, administered by the Mathematical Association of America, recognized Harvard University as the top team, and five undergraduate students were named Putnam Fellows for their high scores in the demanding six-hour mathematics competition.

"The Mathematical Association of America is proud to recognize all students and institutions that participated in the Putnam Competition. We extend a special congratulations to the Putnam Fellows, the winner of the Elizabeth Lowell Putnam prize, and the top scoring teams for their dedication and outstanding performances,” said Michael Pearson, the executive director of the Mathematical Association of America. “The future of mathematics is bright because of these students, and we look forward to their continued success.”

"I would like to congratulate each and every student participant for engaging with this challenging competition. Also, I am grateful to all of the faculty members who donated their time to organize the competition at the nearly 600 sites across the US and Canada," said Daniel Ullman, director of the Putnam Competition.

There were 4,623 participants from 568 institutions in this competition on December 1, 2018. A list of top college and university teams and top student participants is available from the Mathematical Association of America. The highest score on the six-hour exam was 114 out of a possible 120 points. Cash prizes are awarded to the Putnam Fellows, the Elizabeth Lowell Putnam Prize winner, and the mathematics departments and student members of the highest ranked teams.

2018 Top Five Putnam Teams:

  1. Harvard University
  2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  3. University of California, Los Angeles
  4. Columbia University
  5. Stanford University
     

2018 Putnam Fellows, listed in alphabetical order:

  • Dongryul Kim, Harvard University
  • Shyam Narayanan, Harvard University
  • David Stoner, Harvard University
  • Yuan Yao, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Shengtong Zhang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology


Elizabeth Lowell Putnam Prize Winner:

  • Danielle Wang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Mathematical Association of America organizes the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition with the generous support of the William Lowell Putnam Prize Fund. For more information about participating in the Putnam Competition, click here and follow the Mathematical Association of America on Twitter @maanow.


###

The Mathematical Association of America is the world’s largest community of mathematicians, students, and enthusiasts. We accelerate the understanding of our world through mathematics because mathematics drives society and shapes our lives.

News Date: 
Monday, February 25, 2019
Category: