MATH PROBLEM SOLVING WEB PAGE
(ARCHIVAL VERSION)

Web page for the Northwestern University Math Problem Solving Group.

Goals

  1. Acquire basic math problem solving skills.
  2. Help in training future candidates for the yearly Putnam Competition.

Activities

  1. Solve math problems proposed in magazines like Math Horizons, College Mathematics Journal and the Mathematics Magazine. Ideally we should solve at least one problem from each issue.
  2. Discuss solutions to problems and study mathematical subjects related to problem solving.

Unless otherwise stated, the level of the problems and results shown here should be undergraduate.

Last Modified:

Index


Announcements

(There are no announcements at this moment.)


MathPSG Emailing List

Subscribe to the Math Problem Solving Group emailing list by sending an email to listserv@listserv.it.northwestern.edu with the following line in its body:
subscribe MathPSG Your Name
where Your Name means that you must write your name there.

Alternatively, please click in one of the following links, depending on whether you want to

Clicking on one of those links will fire up the mail program associated to your browser with the appropriate command for the listserver already typed in. Note however that if your choice is to subscribe MathPSG, you must add your name at the end of the line "subscribe MathPSG", otherwise the listserver will reply with an error message saying that the name is missing.

Note: Problems from magazines discussed and solved in the MathPSG emailing list may be submitted to the magazines in the name of the Northwestern University Math Problem Solving Group.

The MathPSG emailing list is moderated. Postings sent to the list will not be automatically forwarded to its members, they must await approval by the moderator.


How the group works

The Math PSG works on problems proposed by various math magazines (see below), and submits solutions to the magazines. The process works like this:
  1. Pick a problem not yet solved by the group, and for which the deadline for submission has not arrived yet.
  2. If you solve the problem, you can post your solution sending it by email to
    MathPSG@listserv.it.northwestern.edu
    or mailing it directly to the group coordinator. If you want to give a chance the other members of the group to think the problem too, instead of a complete solution you may post only some hints first.
  3. Some discussion of the solution may follow. After the solution is considered correct, and if nobody has anything to add, the coordinator will write a final version and submit it to the magazine in behalf of the group. If there is some discussion, or more that one solution posted, the coordinator will try to compose a "combined solution" with the different contributions.
Problems solved by the group and submitted to a magazine appear below in the column "submitted solutions".


Proposed Problems

Find below a list of magazines that contain problems of interest. Ideally we should try to solve at least one problem from each issue and submit it to the magazine before the deadline.

The problems can be found in the magazines (available by subscription), or in electronic access sites such as JSTOR.


source deadline submitted solutions (*)
- 2020 -
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 92, No.4, Oct 2019 March 1, 2020 2078
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 50, No. 4, Sep 2019 March 15, 2020 1157, 1159
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 92, No.5, Dec 2019 May 1, 2020 2082
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 50, No. 5, Nov 2019 May 15, 2020 1161
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 93, No.1, Feb 2020 July 1, 2020 2086
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 51, No. 1, Jan 2020 July 15, 2020 1167
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 51, No. 2, Mar 2020 July 15, 2020 1175
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 93, No.2, Apr 2020 September 1, 2020 2094
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 93, No.3, May 2020 November 1, 2020 2098
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 51, No. 3, May 2020 November 15, 2020 1176
- 2021 -
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 93, No.4, Oct 2020 March 1, 2021 2103
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 51, No. 4, Sep 2020 March 15, 2021 1183
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 93, No.5, Dec 2020 May 1, 2021 2106, 2107
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 51, No. 5, Dec 2020 May 15, 2021 1186
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 94, No.1, Feb 2021 July 1, 2021 2111
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 52, No. 1, Jan 2021 July 15, 2021 1192, 1194
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 94, No.2, Apr 2021 September 1, 2021 2118
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 52, No. 2, Mar 2021 September 15, 2021 1200
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 94, No.3, Apr 2021 November 1, 2021 2123
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 52, No. 3, May 2021 November 15, 2021 1203
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 52, No. 3, May 2021 (corrections)
- 2022 -
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 94, No.4, Oct 2021 March 1, 2022 2128
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 52, No. 4, Sep 2021 March 15, 2022 1210
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 94, No.5, Dec 2021 May 1, 2022 2133
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 52, No. 5, Nov 2021 May 15, 2022 1214
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 95, No.1, Jan 2022 July 1, 2022 2137
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 53, No. 1, Jan 2022 July 15, 2022 1218
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 95, No.2, Apr 2022 September 1, 2022 2141
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 53, No. 2, Mar 2022 September 15, 2022 1223
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 95, No.3, Jun 2022 November 1, 2022 2147, 2149
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 53, No. 3, May 2022 November 15, 2022 1227
- 2023 -
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 95, No.4, Oct 2022 March 1, 2023 2154
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 53, No. 4, Sep 2022 March 15, 2023 1233
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 95, No.5, Dec 2022 May 1, 2023 2159
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 53, No. 5, Nov 2022 May 15, 2023 1237
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 96, No.1, Mar 2023 July 1, 2023 2161
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 54, No. 1, Feb 2023 July 15, 2023 1244
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 96, No.2, Apr 2023 September 1, 2023 2168
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 54, No. 2, Apr 2023 September 15, 2023 1249
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 96, No.3, Jun 2023 November 1, 2023 1271, 1272
- 2024 -
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 96, No.4, Sep 2023 March 1, 2024 2180
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 54, No. 4, Sep 2023 (1st set) March 15, 2024 1255
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 54, No. 4, Sept 2023 (2nd set) March 15, 2024 1258, 1260
Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 96, No.5, Dec 2023 May 1, 2024 2185
College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 54, No. 5, Dec 2023 May 15, 2024 1263

(*) Color red means that the solution submitted by us was selected for publication.


Lists of problems

Collections and archives with math problems (and some solutions).

Local links

External links


Mathematical Results

These are common mathematical results that can be used in the resolution of math problems.


Solved problems

This is a collection of solutions to some problems.


Other Links


Bibliography


Comments, suggestions...? email Miguel A. Lerma at: mlerma at math dot northwestern dot edu