Competitions

    A half-credit Problem Solving Seminar (Mathematics 149S) is offered each fall to help students develop creative strategies for solving challenging mathematical problems; admission is by consent of the instructor. Each year students are encouraged to participate in the Virginia Tech Mathematics Contest, the William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition, and the Mathematical Competition in Modeling. In 1992 and 1995, the Duke Putnam team placed in the top ten in the country; in 1990 the team placed second in the nation, with team members Jeanne Nielsen, William Schneeberger, and Jeffrey Vanderkam. In 1993 and 1996 the Duke Putnam team placed first in the nation, with team members Andrew Dittmer, Craig Gentry, and Jeffrey Vanderkam in 1993 and team members Andrew Dittmer, Robert Schneck, and Noam Shazeer in 1996.

Karl Menger Award

    The Karl Menger Award, first given in 1989, is a cash prize awarded annually by the Department of Mathematics for outstanding performance in mathematical competitions. The selection committee is appointed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
    Karl Menger (1902-1985) was a distinguished twentieth century mathematician who made major contributions to a number of areas of mathematics, including dimension theory, logic, lattice theory, differential geometry, and graph theory. Menger, who held academic positions in Europe and the United States, was widely published. The Karl Menger Award was established by a gift to Duke University from George and Eva Menger-Hammond, the daughter of Karl Menger. Recent recipients of the Karl Menger Award are listed below.
 

The Julia Dale Prize in Mathematics

    The Julia Dale Prize is a cash prize awarded annually by the Department of Mathematics to a mathematics major (or majors) on the basis of excellence in mathematics. A selection committee is appointed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
    Julia Dale, an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Duke University, died early in her career on January 13, 1936. Friends and relatives of Professor Dale established the Julia Dale Memorial Fund in the spring of 1938; the Julia Dale Prize is supported by the income from this fund, which was the first memorial fund established in honor of a woman member of the Duke faculty. Recent first-prize recipients are listed below.