Sample Putnam problems

For starters, here are four problems from the 1996 Putnam competition. As an indication of the relative difficulty of these problems, the number of contestants (out of a total of 2407) who received full credit is given in parentheses.

Problem A1 (87): Find the least number A such that for any two squares of combined area 1, a rectangle of area A exists such that the two squares can be packed into that rectangle (without the interiors of the squares overlapping). You may assume that the sides of the squares will be parallel to the sides of the rectangle.

Problem A2 (6): Let C1 and C2 be circles whose centers are 10 units apart and whose radii are 1 and 3. Find, with proof, the locus of all points M for which there exist points X on C1 and Y on C2 such that M is the midpoint of the line segment XY.

Problem B1 (113): Define a selfish set to be a set which has its own cardinality (number of elements) as an element. Find, with proof, the number of subsets of {1,2,...,n} which are minimal selfish sets, that is, selfish sets none of whose proper subsets is selfish.

Problem B3 (20): Given that {x1,x2,...,xn}={1,2,...,n}, find, with proof, the largest possible value, as a function of n (with n at least 2), of x1*x2 + x2*x3 +...+ x{n-1}*xn + xn*x1.

Stumped? Then see the solutions compiled by David Rusin of Northern Illinois University.


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