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Kansas State University Student Finishes First in the Big 12 in the 2003 Putnam Mathematical Competition

Manhattan -- A Kansas State University student finished first in the Big 12 in the 2003 Putnam Mathematical Competition. The Mathematical Association of America just released the results of the 64^th annual Competition held last December. The Putnam is the most prestigious mathematical competition for undergraduates in the United States and Canada.

Kansas State University's Jeffrey Amos, a sophomore mathematics major from Olathe, ranked 56^th among the 3,615 students in the competition. This was the best performance by a student in the Big 12 Conference, and it was one of the best performances ever by a K-Stater.

Matthew Burkemper, a junior mathematics and physics major from Derby, placed in the top 13 percent.

From Manhattan: Michael Higgins, a junior mathematics and statistics major, placed in the top 18 percent; Asma Al-Rawi, a sophomore physics and mathematics major, placed in the top 25 percent; and Adam Gelroth, a sophomore mathematics major, placed in the top 31 percent.

K-State's Putnam team finished 78^th in the Putnam Mathematical Competition and ranked in the top 19 percent of the 401 teams and 479 colleges in the competition. K-State's Putnam team finished 12^th overall and first among all public universities in 1996. Five of K-State's best finishes have come in the last decade, and, during that time, K-State finished first in the Big 12 Conference four times. MIT won the Putnam competition.

The Putnam competition began in 1938 and is designed to stimulate a healthful rivalry in mathematical studies in the colleges and universities of the United States and Canada. Nearly 4,000 contestants from nearly 500 colleges and universities annually participate in the Putnam competition which is sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. Professors David Auckly, Todd Cochrane, Louis Crane, Mikil Foss, Zongzhu Lin, Tom Muenzenberger, Gabriel Nagy, Christopher Pinner, Pietro Poggi-Corradini and Huanan Yang are the K-State Putnam team coaches.

For more information contact Tom Muenzenberger, 785-532-0557 or muenz@math.ksu.edu