University of Rochester Math Olympiad

In 2007, the Department of Mathematics at University of Rochester started organizing the University of Rochester Math Olympiad, which was initially aimed to problem solving enthusiasts from Western New York colleges. The goal was to build a viable exam for the spring semester, in order to balance a fall semester which includes the Virginia Tech Regional Mathematics Contest and the well-known William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition.

The competition grew from a participation of 49 students representing Cornell, RIT, Nazareth, Saint Bonaventure, SUNY Brockport, and Rochester, for the first edition, to a roster of 98 students from 13 colleges competing in the third one. It was usually held on the last Saturday in March of each year, but, starting in 2011, in order to accommodate the spring break dates for participating colleges, it will take place in mid-February.

The exam, which is three hour long, asks for the solutions to four problems. Two of them are below Putnam level, while the other two are at easy-average Putnam level. Three prizes are awarded: first prize is $250, second prize is $200, and third prize is $150. Here are the problems of previous competitions, together with links for announcements of winners:


Date Problems Announcement of winners
3/31/2007 1st edition test 2007 news item
3/29/2008 2nd edition test 2008 news item
3/28/2009 3rd edition test 2009 news item
3/27/2010 4th edition test 2010 news item
2/19/2011 5th edition test 2011 news item
2/18/2012 6th edition test 2012 news item
2/16/2013 7th edition test 2013 news item
2/8/2014 8th edition test 2014 news item
2/7/2015 9th edition test 2015 news item