Purdue Math Students Deliver Standout Scores in Putnam Exam
03-04-2026
For the second year in a row, Purdue University’s mathematics students demonstrated exceptional performance on one of the most demanding undergraduate exams in the world.
In the 86th William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, Purdue’s team placed 20th out of nearly 500 institutions across the United States and Canada. The annual competition, administered by the Mathematical Association of America, is widely regarded as the premier contest in collegiate mathematics.
This year, 41 Purdue students completed the six-hour exam, solving 12 proof-based problems across two three-hour sessions. Without calculators or outside resources, participants rely entirely on logic, creativity and precision. Even a small number of points places a student above the median among roughly 4,300 competitors.
Purdue’s team score - calculated by combining the three highest individual scores - totaled 150 points. Ten students scored more than 20 points, a significant accomplishment given the difficulty of the exam.
Six students earned scores above 30:
Wilbert Chu
Harry Zheng
Tanishq Pauskar
Lorenzo Sarria Maldonado
Tuan Minh Pham
Bhavin Gupta
Chu also received an Honorable Mention in the official national rankings, placing between 26 and 100 overall. Zheng and Pauskar ranked between 101 and 200. Gupta, Pham and Sarria Maldonado placed between 201 and 500.
The Putnam is known for rewarding original thinking over routine technique. Problems often require unexpected insights, and success depends as much on clarity of explanation as on arriving at the correct result.
Purdue’s performance reflects sustained preparation and a strong culture of problem solving. Students train through seminars, practice exams and collaborative study sessions that bring together participants from different majors and class years. Each fall, the Department of Mathematics offers Problem Solving Seminar (MA 481), a course designed to strengthen students’ ability to tackle challenging problems and explore new approaches. For the past decade, the course has been taught by Professor Victor Lie.
A top-20 finish signals more than a single day’s results. It reflects a department that encourages students to test themselves against the highest levels of undergraduate mathematics and to grow through that challenge. For many participants, the Putnam marks a defining academic experience - one that builds confidence, resilience and lasting problem-solving skills.
About the Mathematics Department at Purdue University
The Department of Mathematics is one of seven departments making up Purdue's College of Science. The Department has an international reputation as an outstanding center for mathematical research and education. Over 70 professors are actively involved in research in many areas of mathematics, including visiting scholars and through a vibrant graduate program. The Department offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The department is located in the Math Building at 150 N. University Street in West Lafayette, Indiana. Learn more at math.purdue.edu.
Written by: Alisha Willett, Communications Specialist, amwillet@purdue.edu
Contributors: Victor Lie, vlie@purdue.edu