EASY PUTNAM PROBLEMS

(Last updated: December 7, 2023)

Remark. The problems in the Putnam Competition are usually very hard, but practically
every session contains at least one problem very easy to solve—it still may need some sort
of ingenious idea, but the solution is very simple. This is a list of “easy” problems that have
appeared in the Putnam Competition in past years—Miguel A. Lerma

2023-A1. For a positive integer n, let fn (x) = cos(x) cos(2x) cos(3x) · · · cos(nx). Find the small-
est n such that |fn00 (0)| > 2023.
2022-B1. Suppose that P (x) = a1 x + a2 x2 + · · · + an xn is a polynomial with integer coefficients,
with a1 odd. Suppose that eP (x) = b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 + · · · for all x. Prove that bk is
nonzero for all k ≥ 0.
2021-A1. A grasshopper starts at the origin in the coordinate plane and makes a sequence of
hops. Each hop has length 5, and after each hop the grasshopper is at a point whose
coordinates are both integers; thus, there are 12 possible locations for the grasshopper
after the first hop. What is the smallest number of hops needed for the grasshopper
to reach the point (2021, 2021)?
2020-A1. How many positive integers N satisfy all of the following three conditions?
(i) N is divisible by 2020.
(ii) N has at most 2020 decimal digits.
(iii) The decimal digits of N are a string of consecutive ones followed by a string of
consecutive zeros.
2019-A1. Determine all possible values of the expression
A3 + B 3 + C 3 − 3ABC
where A, B, and C are nonnegative integers.
2018-A1. Find all ordered pairs (a, b) of positive integers for which
1 1 3
+ = .
a b 2018
2018-B2. Let n be a positive integer, and let fn (z) = n + (n − 1)z + (n − 2)z 2 + · · · + z n−1 .
Prove that fn has no roots in the closed unit disk {z ∈ C : |z| ≤ 1}.

2017-A1. Let S be the smallest set of positive integers such that

(a) 2 is in S,
(b) n is in S whenever n2 is in S, and
(c) (n + 5)2 is in S whenever n is in S.
1
 EASY PUTNAM PROBLEMS 2

Which positive integers are not in S?

(The set S is “smallest” in the sense that S is contained in any other such set.)
2017-B1. Let L1 and L2 be distinct lines in the plane. Prove that L1 and L2 intersect if and
only if, for every real number λ 6= 0 and every point P not on L1 or L2 , there exist
−−→ −−→
points A1 on L1 and A2 on L2 such that P A2 = λP A1 .

2016-A1. Find the smallest positive integer j such that for every polynomial p(x) with integer
coefficients and for every k, the integer
(j) dj
p (k) = p(x)
dxj x=k

(the j-th derivative of p(x) at k) is divisible by 2016.

2016-B1. Let x0 , x1 , x2 , . . . be the sequence such that x0 = 1 and for n ≥ 0,

xn+1 = ln (exn − xn )
(as usual, the function ln is the natural logarithm). Show that the infinite series
x0 + x1 + x2 + · · ·
converges and find its sum.
2016-B3. Suppose that S is a finite set of points in the plane such that the area of triangle
∆ABC is at most 1 whenever A, B, and C are in S. Show that there exists a triangle
of area 4 such that (together with its interior) covers the set S.
2015-A1. Let A and B be points on the same branch of the hyperbola xy = 1. Suppose that P
is a point lying between a and B on this hyperbola, such that the area of the triangle
AP B is as large as possible. Show that the region bounded by the hyperbola and the
chord AP has the same area as the region bounded by the hyperbola and the chord
P B.
2015-B1. Let f be a three times differentiable function (defined on R and real-valued) such that
f has at least five distinct real zeros. prove that f + 6f 0 + 12f 00 + 8f 000 has at least
two distinct real zeros.
2015-B4. Let T be the set of all triples (a, b, c) of positive integers for which there exist triangles
with side lengths a, b, c. Express
X 2a
3b 5c
(a,b,c)∈T

as a rational number in lowest terms.

2014-A1. Prove that every nonzero coefficient of the Taylor series of
(1 − x + x2 )ex
 EASY PUTNAM PROBLEMS 3

about x = 0 is a rational number whose numerator (in lowest terms) is either 1 or a

prime number.
2014-B1. A base 10 over-expansion of a positive integer N is an expression of the form

N = dk 10k + dk−1 10k−1 + · · · + d0 100

with dk 6= 0 and di ∈ {0, 1, 2, . . . , 10} for all i. For instance, the integer N = 10
has two base 10 over-expansions: 10 = 10 · 100 and the usual base 10 expansion
10 = 1 · 101 + 0 · 100 . Which positive integers have a unique base 10 over-expansion?

2013-A1. Recall that a regular icosahedron is a convex polyhedron having 12 vertices and 20
faces; the faces are congruent equilateral triangles. On each face of a regular icosahe-
dron is written a nonnegative integer such that the sum of all 20 integers is 39. Show
that there are two faces that share a vertex and have the same integer written on
them.
2013-B1. For positive integers n, let the numbers c(n) be determined by the rules c(1) = 1,
c(2n) = c(n), and c(2n + 1) = (−1)n c(n). Find the value of
2013
X
c(n)c(n + 2) .
n=1

2012-A1. Let d1 , d2 , . . . , d12 be real numbers in the interval (1, 12). Show that there exist distinct
indices i, j, k such that di ,dj , dk are the side lengths of an acute triangle.
2012-B1. Let S be the class of functions from [0, ∞) to [0, ∞) that satisfies:
(i) The functions f1 (x) = ex − 1 and f2 (x) = ln (x + 1) are in S.
(ii) If f (x) and g(s) are in S, then functions f (x) + g(x) and f (g(x)) are in S;
(iii) If f (x) and g(x) are in S and f (x) ≥ g(x) for all x ≥ 0, then the function
f (x) − g(x) is in S.
Prove that if f (x) and g(x) are in S, then the function f (x)g(x) is also in S.
2011-B1. Let h and k be positive integers. Prove that for every ε > 0, there are positive integers
m and n such that
√ √
ε < |h m − k n| < 2ε.

2011-A1. Given a positive integer n, what is the largest k such that the numbers 1, 2, . . . , n can
be put into k boxes so that the sum of the numbers in each box is the same? [When
n = 8, the example {1, 2, 3, 6}, {4, 8}, {5, 7} shows that the largest k is at least 3.]
2010-B1. Is there an infinite sequence of real numbers a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . such that

am m m
1 + a2 + a3 + · · · = m

for every positive integer m?

 EASY PUTNAM PROBLEMS 4

2010-B2. Given that A, B, and C are noncollinear points in the plane with integer coordinates
such that the distances AB, AC, and BC are integers, what is the smallest possible
value of AB?
2009-A1. Let f be a real-valued function on the plane such that for every square ABCD in the
plane, f (A) + f (B) + f (C) + f (D) = 0. Does it follow that f (P ) = 0 for all points P
in the plane?
2009-B1. Show that every positive rational number can be written as a quotient of products of
factorials of (not necessarily distinct) primes. For example,

10 2! · 5!
= .
9 3! · 3! · 3!

2008-A1. Let f : R2 → R be a function such that f (x, y) + f (y, z) + f (z, x) = 0 for all
real numbers x, y, and z. Prove that there exists a function g : R → R such that
f (x, y) = g(x) − g(y) for all real numbers x and y.

2008-A2. Alan and Barbara play a game in which they take turns filling entries of an initially
empty 2008 × 2008 array. Alan plays first. At each turn, a player chooses a real
number and places it in a vacant entry. The game ends when all the entries are filled.
Alan wins if the determinant of the resulting matrix is nonzero; Barbara wins if it is
zero. Which player has a winning strategy?
2008-B1. What is the maximum number of rational points that can lie on a circle in R2 whose
center is not a rational point? (A rational point is a point both of whose coordinates
are rational numbers.)
1 1
2007-A1. Find all values of α for which the curves y = αx2 + αx + 24
and x = αy 2 + αy + 24
are tangent to each other.

2007-B1. Let f be a polynomial with positive integer coefficients. Prove that if n is a positive
integer, then f (n) divides f (f (n) + 1) if and only if n = 1. [Note: one must assume
f is nonconstant.]
2006-A1. Find the volume of the region of points (x, y, z) such that

(x2 + y 2 + z 2 + 8)2 ≤ 36(x2 + y 2 ).

2006-B2. Prove that, for every set X = {x1 , x2 , . . . , xn } of n real numbers, there exists a non-
empty subset S of X and an integer m such that

X 1
m+ s ≤ .
s∈S
n+1
 EASY PUTNAM PROBLEMS 5

2005-A1. Show that every positive integer is a sum of one or more numbers of the form 2r 3s ,
where r and s are nonnegative integers and no summand divides another. (For exam-
ple, 23 = 9 + 8 + 6.)
2005-B1. Find a nonzero polynomial P (x, y) such that P (bac, b2ac) = 0 for all real numbers a.
(Note: bνc is the greatest integer less than or equal to ν.)
2004-A1. Basketball star Shanille O’Keal’s team statistician keeps track of the number, S(N ),
of successful free throws she has made in her first N attempts of the season. Early
in the season, S(N ) was less than 80% of N , but by the end of the season, S(N ) was
more than 80% of N . Was there necessarily a moment in between when S(N ) was
exactly 80% of N ?
2004-B2. Let m and n be positive integers. Show that
(m + n)! m! n!
m+n
< m n.
(m + n) m n
2003-A1. Let n be a fixed positive integer. How many ways are there to write n as a sum of
positive integers, n = a1 + a2 + · · · + ak , with k an arbitrary positive integer and
a1 ≤ a2 ≤ · · · ≤ ak ≤ a1 + 1? For example, with n = 4 there are four ways: 4, 2+2,
1+1+2, 1+1+1+1.
2003-A2. Let a1 , a2 , . . . , an and b1 , b2 , . . . , bn be nonnegative real numbers. Show that
(a1 a2 · · · an )1/n + (b1 b2 · · · bn )1/n ≤ [(a1 + b1 )(a2 + b2 ) · · · (an + bn )]1/n .
1 Pn (x)
2002-A1. Let k be a fixed positive integer. The n-th derivative of xk −1
has the form (xk −1)n+1
where Pn (x) is a polynomial. Find Pn (1).
2002-A2. Given any five points on a sphere, show that some four of them must lie on a closed
hemisphere.
2001-A1. Consider a set S and a binary operation ∗, i.e., for each a, b ∈ S, a ∗ b ∈ S. Assume
(a ∗ b) ∗ a = b for all a, b ∈ S. Prove that a ∗ (b ∗ a) = b for all a, b ∈ S.
2000-A2. Prove that there exist infinitely many integers n such that n, n + 1, n + 2 are each the
sum of the squares of two integers. [Example: 0 = 02 + 02 , 1 = 02 + 12 , 2 = 12 + 12 .]
1999-A1. Find polynomials f (x), g(x), and h(x), if they exist, such that for all x,

−1
 if x < −1
|f (x)| − |g(x)| + h(x) = 3x + 2 if −1 ≤ x ≤ 0

−2x + 2 if x > 0.

1998-A1. A right circular cone has base of radius 1 and height 3. A cube is inscribed in the
cone so that one face of the cube is contained in the base of the cone. What is the
side-length of the cube?
 EASY PUTNAM PROBLEMS 6

1997-A5. Let Nn denote the number of ordered n-tuples of positive integers (a1 , a2 , . . . , an ) such
that 1/a1 + 1/a2 + . . . + 1/an = 1. Determine whether N10 is even or odd.
1988-B1. A composite (positive integer) is a product ab with a and b not necessarily distinct
integers in {2, 3, 4, . . . }. Show that every composite is expressible as xy + xz + yz + 1,
with x, y, and z positive integers.