All undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in this year’s William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Problem Solving Competition.  Each year students throughout North America take part in this exam which is always given on the first Saturday in December, which is Dec. 6 this year.  Interested students should send an email to Professor Brad Jackson bradley.jackson@sjsu.edu by Oct. 1 so I can make sure you are registered for the exam.  The Putnam Exam covers the first two years of the standard math curriculum including differential equations, linear algebra, calculus, and discrete math.  Putnam problems generally require ingenuity but not a lot of advanced knowledge.  The exam consists of two sets of 6 problems and is given from 8-11 and 1-4.  Students can find old Putnam problems and solutions online for example at kskedlaya.org/putnam-archive/  The Math Dept sometimes offers prizes to students who do well on the Putnam Exam.