What is competitive programming?
The competitive programming community, a term that includes tournaments and leagues, is a relatively new phenomenon in computer science that has been gaining popularity over the past few years. What makes it different from other forms of programming competitions? Competition brings a focus to finding the best solution regardless of time constraints. To qualify for competitions, participants must solve problems using algorithms as well as prove their understanding of specific topics by writing code in practice problems. Competing against individuals, teams, or online opponents, the goal is to work as efficiently as possible within time limits. The competitiveness of this trend is being driven by the availability of algorithm competitions which are held over broad geographic regions and broad skill ranges, with winners who enhance their skills through positive feedback. Furthermore, online competitions provide an environment where programmers can practice their skills and test their algorithms using a wide variety of problem types.
The competitive programming community prides itself on its ability to foster a community of like-minded programmers through diverse programming challenges and frequent communication. This grassroots movement strives to grow by bringing programmers from all parts of the globe into contact with other programmers that share similar interests and common goals. The competitive programming world is a diverse one where it is easy to find like-minded individuals to work with. While programming has traditionally been viewed as a solitary activity, the competitive programming community provides an environment for programmers of all skill levels to work together in an atmosphere of fun and friendship.
Why Use Competitive Programming?
Competitive programming plays an important role in the computer science community for several reasons.
First, it fosters technological innovation by identifying, developing, and promoting algorithms that can be used by future generations of programmers. Competitive programming also attracts interest in the general public through its accessibility and entry into local competitions, often without any previous knowledge or experience in algorithm discovery. As opposed to many fields of computer science, competitive programming appeals to a wide variety of programmers and attracts people who were not previously involved with the creation or use of algorithms.
Role of Algorithm in Competitive Programming
Since algorithms are one of the building blocks of programming and must be used daily, it is only natural that they would also appear in competitions. Algorithms provide a way for programmers to prove their knowledge and ability through problem-solving. Competitive programs can be used as a measure of one’s ability to develop the best solution within the time frame that is given. Most competitions require participants to verify their solutions by writing clean, efficient code as well as explaining each part of their solution in writing after completing each problem. The ability to move from solving problems to coherently explaining them is one of the factors that differentiate the competitive programming community from other programming communities.
Competitive programming promotes collaboration and knowledge retention through an environment where programmers meet and formally collaborate regularly. The highly competitive nature of competitive programming encourages programmers to network and communicate with one another by sharing solutions and growing the competitive programming world.
Algorithms, whether they are used in practice or problem solving, are used extensively within the field of competitive programming. Algorithms provide a clear way for programmers to express their deductions about problem-solving, as opposed to just hacking through it blindly until finally hitting upon a solution. The efficiency of one’s algorithm is often what separates the winners from the losers in most competitions.
How Does it Work?
The majority of competitive programming competitions require participants to complete multiple problems in a specified time frame. Depending on the competition, this may be done alone or in teams. The problems for these tournaments will usually be made available in advance and possibly in advance and possibly online. The solutions to the problems will be verified by a judge after the competition concludes and prizes will usually be awarded.
All competitive programming tournaments provide an environment where solutions can be discussed with peers and analyzed for possible improvements. Most tournaments allow participants who completed a problem early enough to review their solution with other participants before submitting their solutions to the judges. In the competitive programming community, solving a problem correctly is not enough. The problem solver should also have a clear understanding of the algorithms used to solve it.
Problem-Solving Competitions
Problem-solving competitions provide a format where algorithms can be tested for their efficiency and performance. Some competitions require participants to produce an algorithm that solves a designated number of problems or finds a solution to a specific number of problems. In programming, one’s efficiency is usually expressed as an average running time. If an algorithm requires 5 seconds per problem and you solve 1,000 problems in 5 seconds, then your average performance is 25 seconds per problem. The competitiveness of a particular programming competition can be measured by the number of problems contained within it and the total number of problems issued to each participant. This is further reflected in the final score obtained by a participant after all problems have been solved. In general, if a person solves 20 out of 30 problems correctly within 24 hours, then they would have been successful in solving their problem set.
In some competitions, participants may submit multiple solutions for a problem to receive extra credit or earn a higher score through the use of additional algorithms. These types of competitions often reward participants that submit multiple solutions with an increased point value for each one. Algorithms can be used by participants to solve problems and gain an edge over their competition. These algorithms may include:
The importance of algorithms in competitive programming cannot be understated. Algorithms provide a common language between contest participants and allow judges to confirm that the participant has completed the problem correctly. Since judging is completely blind, algorithms are the only way for contest sponsors to ensure that participants are following the rules outlined within the tournament. While many of these tournaments are designed for beginning programmers, algorithms are also vital to experienced programmers who wish to maximize their scores without having to solve every problem individually. The majority of competitions require participants to submit solutions in a standard format so that they may be verified by judges.