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A Friendly Mathematics Competition: 35 Years of Teamwork in Indiana (Maa Problem Books Series)

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Since 1966, colleges and universities in the state of Indiana have held a mathematics competition between teams of undergraduate math students. Known formally as the Indiana College Mathematics Competition (ICMC), it is best known locally as the "Friendly" competition. This is due to the emphasis on the social aspects of the event, where faculty and students get together and there is a de-emphasis on the competitive aspects.
It was originally organized as an alternative to the Putnam exam, where the emphasis in the friendly competition was to be on problems at the undergraduate level. This book is a complete listing of all the problems appearing on the exams from 1966 through 2000 and complete solutions to all of the problems are included.
The exams have between 5 and 10 problems, and they cover all aspects of the undergraduate curriculum common to all programs. With the emphasis on being within the reach of the undergraduate student, there is a lot of material that can be used by teachers of mathematics at that level. If you are looking for the right problem to challenge your students or one to present to the class that is outside the general sameness of textbook problems, then this is the place to look. An index of problems grouped by type is included, making the search for specific types of problems very easy.
A discerning brain will also note the change in emphasis as the years progress. While a correct mathematical proof is eternal, how we do those proofs and what proofs we do change over time. Therefore, there is also a bit of a history lesson within the pages.
Any teacher is only as good as the material that they are presenting and you can get some of the best possible material from this book.

Published in the recreational mathematics e-mail newsletter, reprinted with permission.