World’s Toughest Math Exam (2024)

World’s Toughest Math Exam (2)

Mathematics is one of my favorite subjects. I love it because it is beautiful, it is logical and we can use it to explain any physical phenomena of the universe. It is the language we use to understand the world around us. It is the language we use to buy and sell things, to measure things, to count things, to compute, and innovate things. But it can be hard sometimes, especially for those of us who do not really understand it, find it tough. When it comes to examinations, it is particularly the subject most of us fear, as it incorporates loads of axioms, theorems, principles, formulae, and geometry.

In this article, I shall be talking about the toughest math exam in the world, The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. It is an annual mathematics competition that takes place in the United States and Canada on the first Saturday of December every year. Even though it takes place in the States, the competition is open for students of all nationalities. It is administered by the Mathematical Association of America. The competition is primarily for undergraduate students, and definitely not for the students who hate math. The Putnam as competition has been going on since 1938. It was established by Elizabeth Lowell Putnam in the love of her husband William Lowell Putnam, an American…

World’s Toughest Math Exam (2024)

FAQs

World’s Toughest Math Exam? ›

Putnam Competition Revealed. Discover the incredibly challenging Putnam Competition, one of the world's toughest math exams.

How hard is the Putnam exam? ›

The most common question he gets asked about the Putnam, Rydell said, is not so much what's on the test, but why people take it in the first place. This year's test was so challenging that a score of 78 out of 120 or better — just 65% — was enough to earn a spot in the top 10.

Which is the most difficult Olympiad in the world? ›

The International Mathematical Olympiad, IMO for short, is known as the toughest competition in the world for high school students. Only a handful of students from each country compete against some of the greatest youthful minds of the world.

What is the hardest math that no one can solve? ›

The Collatz conjecture is the most famous unsolved problem in all of mathematics. This conjecture asks whether repeating two simple arithmetic operations will at some point transform every positive integer into 1.

Is Harvard Math 55 real? ›

Math 55 is a two-semester freshman undergraduate mathematics course at Harvard University founded by Lynn Loomis and Shlomo Sternberg. The official titles of the course are Studies in Algebra and Group Theory (Math 55a) and Studies in Real and Complex Analysis (Math 55b).

Why is 3X 1 unsolvable? ›

In the 3x+1 problem, no matter what number you start with, you will always eventually reach 1. problem has been shown to be a computationally unsolvable problem.

What is the most prestigious math olympiad? ›

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is a mathematical olympiad for pre-university students, and is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads. It is “the most prestigious” mathematical competition in the world. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959.

Is usamo or IMO harder? ›

The USAMO is significantly more difficult and harder to qualify than its counterpart. The structure of the Olympiad test is a grueling 9 hour, 6 problem long proof-based contest, where contestants submit proofs and solutions to some of the hardest math problems in the world.

What is the hardest math problem competition? ›

The Hardest Math Problem Student Contest is an annual competition presented by The Actuarial Foundation, the Institute of Competition Sciences and the New York Life Foundation that challenges grades 6-8 students to solve multistep, grade-specific math problems with real-world situations and engaging characters.

What are the 7 unsolved mathematics? ›

Contents
  • 1 The Riemann Hypothesis. 1.1 Clay description.
  • 2 The Yang-Mills Equations.
  • 3 The P vs. NP Problem. 3.1 Clay description.
  • 4 The Navier–Stokes equations. 4.1 Clay description.
  • 5 The Hodge Conjecture.
  • 6 The Poincaré Conjecture. 6.1 Clay description.
  • 7 Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture.

What is the hardest math topic ever? ›

Five Most Difficult Topics In Mathematics That Students Fear
  • Calculus. Calculus is the study of integrals, function limits, and derivative combinations for real numbers and their analysis. ...
  • Differential equations and dynamic systems. ...
  • Algebra. ...
  • Combinatory. ...
  • Logic.
Sep 20, 2021

Is 6 2 1 2 1 or 9? ›

Depends on placement of (2+1). If (2+1) is multiplying 6/2, then, the answer is 9. If (2+1) is multiplying the denominator 2, then the answer is 1. By the rule of BODMAS, It's 1.

Which is the hardest math type? ›

Differential equations, real analysis, and complex analysis are some of the most challenging mathematics courses that are offered at the high school level. These courses are typically taken by students who are interested in pursuing careers in mathematics, physics, or engineering.

Which math level is the hardest? ›

Is it Calculus, Pre-calculus, or something else altogether? While the difficulty of a math course can be subjective and depend on an individual's skills and interests, many people consider Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC to be the most challenging high school math course.

What's the highest level of math? ›

A doctoral degree is the highest level of education available in mathematics, often taking 4-7 years to complete. Like a master's degree, these programs offer specializations in many areas, including computer algebra, mathematical theory analysis, and differential geometry.

Which math is the easiest? ›

Basic Math and Consumer Math are typically considered the easiest math classes in high school because they focus on practical, real-world math skills.

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