Problemists the world over, including all past and future Putnam Competitors, will revel in mastering the difficulties posed by this collection of problems from the first 25 William Lowell Putnam Competitions. Solutions to all 347 problems are given. In some cases multiple solutions are included, some which contestants could reasonably be expected to find under examination conditions, and others which are more elegant or utilize more sophisticated techniques. Valuable references and historical comments on many of the problems are presented. The book concludes with four articles on the Putnam competition written by G. Birkhoff, L. E. Bush, L. J. Mordell, and L. M. Kelly which are reprinted from the "American Mathematical Monthly."
There is great appeal here for all; teachers, students, and all those who love good problems and see them as an entree to beautiful and powerful ideas.