Rutgers Undergraduate Problem Solving Competition


Each year the Math Department offers an undergraduate problem solving exam (previously known as the Prize Exams) in which students may compete for Honor* and Fortune**. The exam is open to all Rutgers New Brunswick undergraduates.

The 2019 exam took place on Thursday, April 11 in CORE 431 (DiMACS seminar room), Busch Campus.

There is a selection of seven problems of varying difficulty. Some solutions may require tools from subjects such as calculus, linear algebra, and elementary number theory. All solutions will require creative thinking and problem solving skills.

Students are not expected to solve all problems. They will only be judged against students of a similar (academic) age.

Any interested student may arrive to the exam any time between 9:30 and 12:00, and will have up to two hours to work on the exam. (The competition will end at 2 pm.) No advanced registration is required; students should simply show up in the examination room with their picture ID. No calculators, computers, or any communication devices will be allowed.


*Honor: Notable performances on the exam are posted on the Mathematics Department Awards web page.

**Fortune: Small monetary prizes will be given for outstanding performances.


The Problem Solving Competition in 2019:  PSC-2019.pdf

Visit the homepage of the Department of Mathematics for more information about undergraduate awards and prizes.


Here are two websites about the Garden State Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (GSUMC):
GSUMC 2019 and previous GSUMC exams