A Guide to the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition Problems and Solutions: 1938-1964 Records, 1938-1980

Historical Note

The original idea of the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition was expressed by William Lowell Putnam in 1921, and funded by a trust in Mrs. Putnam's will. The first Competition, in approximately the present form, was largely organized by George D. Birkhoff in 1938. The Competition is held between teams from North American colleges, and is administered by the Mathematical Association of America. In 1980, the Mathematical Association of America published The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition Problems and Solutions: 1938-1964, by Andrew M. Gleason, Robert E. Greenwood, and L.M. Kelly, which includes the problems, solutions, and commentaries, together with material on the history of the Competitions.

Scope and Contents

Records concern the preparation and publication of The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition Problems and Solutions: 1938-1964 (1980), by Andrew M. Gleason, Robert E. Greenwood and L. M. Kelly. Material includes correspondence, notebooks, drafts, and proofs.

Forms part of the Archives of American Mathematics.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Unrestricted access.

Use Restrictions

This collection is stored offsite at CDL. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition Problems and Solutions: 1938-1964 Records, 1938-1980, Archives of American Mathematics, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Collection