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/sci/ - Science & Math

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10620401 No.10620401 [Reply] [Original]

What self-study material should a CS major learn in order to sit for the Putnam competition?

I've taken a decent number of pmath and combinatorics & optimization courses but really am unsure if I have the mathematical maturity for the contest.

>> No.10620427

>>10620401
Considering it's an undergrad competition, you need to know undergrad math. I didn't study math but I assume abstract algebra, basic number theory, differential equations, real analysis, calculus, geometry and a few other things for corner cases.

About the maturity, no you probably don't. It's probably gonna be a waste of time because in order to solve the problems efficiently you need a lot of experience but if it's something you find fun you can probably do it in a few years

>> No.10620429

>>10620427
BTW, why not programming competitions? That's probably more doable

>> No.10620439

>>10620427
>>10620429
I actually have done a ICPC competition for my school and it was fun for sure, just want to branch out a bit. The calc classes I took were pretty proof oriented but I haven't taken real analysis or any abstract algebra yet so that's definitely a gap I should shore up first.

>> No.10620443

>>10620439
Well if you pretend to go into graduate school it's probably fine to learn since it's material that will give you maturity and you may use. If you don't plan on doing that I don't know if you have enough time but you can always give it a try solving previous problems in areas that you know and seeing if you like it

>> No.10620456
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10620456

>>10620401
>pmath and combinatorics and optimization
Congrats faggot you went to a meme school.

>> No.10620463

>>10620443
Yeah, planning on grad school since I have the marks I think so I figure I might as well.

>>10620456
O shi doxxed

>> No.10621365

>>10620401
Oh shit, looking at the .gif I played Ricardo's theme in my head.

Either way, you can always participate in other competitions related to CS, OP. Since these will help you get an actual job in a good company like Google or the dying Facebook.
Don't get meme'd on putnam since it is just for autistic kids that will do plenty of research but will never be able to teach or get a real job because of the autism.

>> No.10622255

>>10620456
Who dis

>> No.10622836
File: 430 KB, 640x480, Harvard Math Putnam Team 2018.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10622836

>>10620401
Nekopara, a Lewd Visual Novel.
(...Just joking)

https://youtu.be/2Rt2avRZvBs

>> No.10622841
File: 45 KB, 474x676, Putnam and Beyond.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10622841

>>10620401
Good books in Number Theory & Combinatorics

With an overview idea of proof based College Algebra & Analysis

>> No.10622843
File: 23 KB, 306x460, Undergrad Math Competitions.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10622843

Continuing: >>10622836 & >>10622841

& a Book with Past Math Competitions' Problems

>> No.10622844
File: 42 KB, 419x419, Chocola(nekopara).jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10622844

>>10622836
>Just joking
Just *kidding

>> No.10622870
File: 118 KB, 700x922, Elon Musk's cat girl.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10622870

>>10620401
& How about motivation?

Do it for HER

>> No.10622953
File: 42 KB, 646x595, 1556371677638.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10622953

>>10620456
Sad to say I would probably hit it.

>> No.10623498

>>10622841
>>10622843
Thanks for these, there's a ton of resources and it's always difficult narrowing down which are most efficient to study from

>> No.10623504

>>10622836
Chad af