It was announced yesterday that the William Lowell Putnam Competition will give an examination in college mathematics on Saturday, April 16, with awards ranging from suitable medals to $500.00 in cash, and, in addition, a prize scholarship of $1000.00 to be awarded at Harvard University to one of the 5 leading contestants.

The competition, named in honor of William L. Putnam '82 and sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America, is open to teams of three, or to individual contestants from colleges and universities in United States and Canada.

To Become Annual Event

Designed to stimulate healthful intercollegiate rivalry in the undergraduate work of mathematical departments, the examination will be an annual event for the next three years. This is made possible by the trustees of the William Lowell Putnam Intercollegiate Memorial left by Mrs. Putnam in memory of her husband.

Putnam was interested in stirring up academic rivalry particularly in the field of college mathematics, in the possibility and value of which he thoroughly believed.

Originality Required

The examinations will be constructed so as to test not only technical competence but also originality. There will be a range of choice. A minimum of knowledge required for the examination would represent two years work in calculus, a half-year each in higher algebra and differential equations and a year's work in analytic geometry.

The examination, 6 hours long, will be divided into 2 three hour periods from 9:00 to 12:00 o'clock and from 2:00 to 5:00 o'clock.