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Physics contest could honor student, school

2009; AIP Publishing; Volume: 62; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1063/1.3156315

1945-0699

Costas Efthimiou,

Philosophy, Science, and History

“And we compel men to exercise their bodies not only for the games,… but to gain a greater good from it for the whole city, and for the men themselves.” Lucian, Anacharsis, ca AD 170 Being victorious in the Olympic games in ancient Greece was a major achievement that brought honor not only to the athlete but to his city-state as well. Personal achievement could not be imagined without the contribution and acknowledgment of the athlete’s citystate. All Greek city-states could send official missions to attend the games, where famous poets and historians promoted their works and famous philosophers exchanged and debated ideas. Those national gatherings promoted cultural consciousness and strengthened Greek identity.In an article in the December 1921 issue of Harvard Graduates’ Magazine, William Lowell Putnam wrote about the great potential in undergraduate students: The idealism of the undergraduate student, his eagerness to achieve something for his college, for his country or for any cause which fills him with enthusiasm is constantly referred to with admiration by those in charge of universities…. In none of these cases is the undergraduate primarily interested in winning honor for himself. He is anxious… and very glad to play a useful… part in the preparation of the team by which her victory is secured. Putnam proposed the establishment of a mathematical competition at the college and university level. His vision was finally realized in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, established in 1927 by his widow, Elizabeth Lowell Putnam, after his death.The mathematical community in North America is well informed about the Putnam Competition, which “has undoubtedly played no small part in raising the status, the level and standards of mathematical education.” 1 1. L. J. Mordell, Am. Math. Monthly, May 1963, p. 481. https://doi.org/10.2307/2312056 The competition has promoted mathematical awareness and knowledge, strength-ened cooperation among colleges and universities, and served to establish uniform mathematical standards. Personal victory is identified with the victory of the college or university.Given the prestigious 70-year history of the Putnam Competition, it is remarkable that similar competitions have not been extended to other fields—physics in particular. In Putnam’s words, “No opportunity is offered a student by diligence and high marks in examinations to win or help in winning honor for his college. All that is offered to him is the chance of personal reward. Little appeal is made to high ideals or to unselfish motives.”Although there are several local competitions along the lines of the Putnam Competition, I highlight for the physics community the failure to include such an important global activity at the collegiate level. We know from the list of Putnam winners 2 2. G. Birkhoff, Am. Math. Monthly, May 1965, p. 469. that physics students value the competition highly. The list includes Richard Feynman (1939), Robert Mills (1948), James Bjorken (1954), Kenneth Wilson (1954, 1956), and Stephen Adler (1959).I was fortunate enough to have won a prize in a national mathematics competition and to have participated subsequently in the 24th International Mathematics Olympiad. However, I have always felt sorry that I never had the chance to compete in a physics olympiad.A physics competition modeled after the Putnam Competition would have similar great benefits: promoting awareness, strengthening academic cooperation, and increasing the number of physics students in a time when such an outcome is highly desirable.Establishing a competition syllabus that would be fair for all colleges and universities is not an easy task. For thoughtful treatments of that issue, see references 11. L. J. Mordell, Am. Math. Monthly, May 1963, p. 481. https://doi.org/10.2307/2312056 and 33. L. M. Kelly, Am. Math. Monthly, May 1963, p. 491. https://doi.org/10.2307/2312057 . Perhaps a syllabus from the Putnam Mathematical Competition could be adapted, with appropriate content adjustments, to become the guide for a possible Putnam theoretical physics competition.Separate content, and perhaps a separate competition, could be established for experimental physics. REFERENCESSection:ChooseTop of pageREFERENCES <<1. L. J. Mordell, Am. Math. Monthly, May 1963, p. 481. https://doi.org/10.2307/2312056 , Google ScholarCrossref, ISI2. G. Birkhoff, Am. Math. Monthly, May 1965, p. 469. Google ScholarCrossref3. L. M. Kelly, Am. Math. Monthly, May 1963, p. 491. https://doi.org/10.2307/2312057 , Google ScholarCrossref, ISI© 2009 American Institute of Physics.