Undergraduate problem-solvers place third in regional section, demonstrating exceptional mathematical prowess
The University of California, Santa Barbara is proud to announce another phenomenal performance by our undergraduate students at the 86th William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. Competing against 487 institutions across the United States and Canada, the UCSB team ranked an impressive 14th overall and secured third place in the MAA Southern California-Nevada section, placing just behind Caltech and Harvey Mudd.
Organized by the Mathematical Association of America, the Putnam Competition is widely considered the most prestigious and challenging mathematics contest for undergraduate students in North America. Each year on the first Saturday in December, thousands of students spend six grueling hours attempting to solve 12 highly complex mathematical problems.
Facilitated by the UCSB Department of Mathematics, this year's team success was driven by outstanding performances across the Division of Mathematical, Life and Physical Sciences; the College of Creative Studies; and the College of Engineering.
The top three individual scorers representing the UCSB team were:
- Xiaohan Zhang '29, a first-year student in Creative Studies mathematics, who placed 15th overall out of 4,329 participating students.
- Victor Bernal Ramirez '27, a Letters & Science student studying economics and accounting, who placed 320th.
- David Qiao '26, who studies mathematics in Letters & Science and computer science in the College of Engineering, who placed 329th.
In total, 36 UCSB students successfully submitted solutions for the competition, a significant increase from the 26 participants who submitted last year.
The university's strong showing extended well beyond the top three, with several other UCSB students delivering strong performances, finishing in the top 13% of all participants. Congratulations to Letters & Science student Sohom Dutta '26; alongside Creative Studies students Jacky Wang '29, and Zih-Yu Hsieh '27; Om Mahesh '28 (Creative Studies and Engineering); and Sagnik Biswas '26 (Engineering).
Notably, this continues a streak of excellence for several of these students. Both Bernal Ramirez and Mahesh were top scorers for UCSB in last year's competition, proving their consistent dedication and exceptional problem-solving skills.
"Competitions are engaging activities that allow students to experience the joy of solving challenging problems with creativity and insight, without requiring an extremely deep level of knowledge or a long-term commitment. I am very happy to have achieved a great result in my first Putnam experience. I would like to congratulate David and Victor for placing excellently this year and helping our UCSB team place fourteenth. At the same time, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professors Casteels and Bakshi for the tremendous support they provided during my first quarter at UCSB."
— Xiaohan Zhang '29
"I am immensely proud of all the students who took the Putnam this past year," said Karel Casteels, associate teaching professor in the Department of Mathematics and the College of Creative Studies, who helps organize the university's team. "Their creativity and passion for mathematics continues to amaze and inspire."
"We are tremendously proud of our students who continue to score among the top schools in the Putnam competition," said Björn Birnir, mathematics department chair. "It is a testimony to the wonderful talent we have in the undergraduate programs in Mathematics and the College of Creative Studies."
"I'm so proud of our students for putting up such a strong showing at the Putnam for the second year running!" said Timothy Sherwood, dean of the College of Creative Studies. "Xiaohan placing 15th overall is amazing, and it is wonderful to see all three of our undergraduate-serving colleges represented in the top group. A huge thanks to Karel Casteels for organizing our participation and helping make this possible."