The Skidmore College Problem Group is a group of students who meet regularly to work on problems posed in various undergraduate mathematics journals. Faculty participants are also welcome. Solutions to problems are then submitted to the editors (either by individuals within the group or by the group as a whole). Solutions are acknowledged in subsequent issues of these journals. The journals publish a solution to each problem from among the correct submissions.

In the summer of 1997, this group petitioned to start a local chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon, the national honorary mathematics society. This petition received a favorable review, and the new chapter (New York Alpha Theta) was officially installed on November 17, 1997.

The Skidmore College Problem Group has had five submitted solutions published by the Pi Mu Epsilon Journal. The solutions are to problem #869 [see the Fall, 1996 issue (vol. 10, #5)], problem #886 [see the Spring, 1997 issue (vol. 10, #6)], problem #909 [see the Spring, 1998 issue (vol. 10, #8)], problem #948 [see the Fall, 1999 issue (vol. 11, #1)], and problem #955 [see the Spring, 2000 issue (vol. 11, #2).

Beginning Fall, 1999, students who sign up for the problem group will earn 1 credit, which may count towards Honors Forum credit. The course may be repeated for credit. All grades are on an S/U basis for the course. There will be an enrollment cap of 20 students for the course, which will meet once per week.

Currently, the Mathematics & Computer Science Dept. subscribes to the following journals, all of which contain sections devoted to posed problems. The following links will take you to information about the journal from the publishers:

In addition, we may entertain problems posed in sources to which the dept. does not currently subscribe, such as the Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics or the Fibonacci Quarterly.

• David C. Vella, faculty advisor and instructor for MA125H/225H/325H during Fall, 2000
• R. Daniel Hurwitz, faculty

  Members of the problem solving course: MA125H, MA225H, MA325H:

• Matthew Goldberg '01
• Kerim Odekon '01
• Amanda Weyerbacher '01
• Xiao Ping Huang '03
• Peter Kimerling '03
• Carol Pinto '03
• Naomi Ryan '03
• Natalia Veytsel '03
• Jessica Alexander '04
• Becka Anzalone
• Alison Miller
• Sean Effinger-Dean
• Owen Hofmann

  Putnam Contestants who are not enrolled in the course:

• Kristie Weaver '01
• Matt Cohen '01
• Adam Lahti '02
• Jessica Hubbard '02
• Greg Wrubel '02
• Joel Kurzynski '02
• Jason Lowenstein '03
• Victor Orion Delwaterman '03
• David Wiygul '04
• Gitanjali Sawhney '04
• Robert Kaufman '04
• David Cadwallader '04
• Rachelle Louis '04
• Josh Dennis '04
• Cassandra Tompa '04
• Bond Caldaro '04

• Other students (and faculty) are always welcome!

The course has a cap of 20. When room is available, other students are welcome to sit in. You do not need to be enrolled in the course in order to attend practice sessions for the Putnam Exam!

The American Mathematical Monthly	Mathematics Magazine	The College Mathematics Journal
Crux Mathematicorum	The Pi Mu Epsilon Journal	Math Horizons
	The New York State Mathematics Teachers Journal

Other Web-sites regarding mathematical problems:

• Math Pro Online

• Math Competitions Archive

• Problem of the Week at Macalaster College (provided by Stan Wagon).
  • REMARK: The Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science at Skidmore College offers a
    $5 prize to the first Skidmore student who solves this problem correctly each week.
    See Prof. Alice Dean for details.

  (Remark: Prof. Dean is away on sabbatical during the 1999-2000 academic year. The $5 prize for the Macalaster Problem of the Week will resume when she returns.)

• Problem of the Week at the US Military Academy at West Point.

• Problem of the Week at Bradley University.

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This page maintained by David Vella.