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Google Code Jam – Contest scoreboard

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Re: Google Code Jam – Contest scoreboard

#6

Post by idle_processor »

modulus1 wrote: post #4

I'm always amazed at the speed of these guys. Top guy got it all done in an hour. I don't know if they are geniuses or if they practice this stuff every day.

First place was taken by Gennady.Korotkevich, also known as "tourist." He has a history of placing extremely highly in sport programming contests[0], is at the top of topcoder's algorithm section[1], and has had several articles[2,3] written about him.

I imagine there's a lot of practice involved, but I wasn't able to spot an interview that specified the exact amount of time tourist spends coding or studying algorithms every day.

[0] http://qr.ae/vcU6j

[1] http://community.topcoder.com/tc?module=AlgoRank

[2] http://www.wired.com/2010/11/mf_algorithmolympics/

[3] http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-whiz-kid-20120821-24k69....

Re: Google Code Jam – Contest scoreboard

#7

Post by dllu »

modulus1 wrote: post #4

I'm always amazed at the speed of these guys. Top guy got it all done in an hour. I don't know if they are geniuses or if they practice this stuff every day.

Speaking as the current #20 position [0] on the Google Code Jam scoreboard...

I'm in my university's team for the ACM ICPC [1]. We practice about one or two times per week, where each practice session is 5 hours. Some of the stronger programmers really practice this stuff every day. cf. Nick Wu's description of his preparation for programming contests [2].

[0] In 5 hours, the large input sets will be judged. I might move up or down the rank list depending on whether my answers for the large input were correct.

[1] http://icpc.baylor.edu/

[2] http://www.quora.com/Specific-Quora-Users/Nick-Wu-Did-your-t...

Re: Google Code Jam – Contest scoreboard

#8

Post by just2n »

So all evidence suggests that the 3rd problem is the hardest, by far, which is likely just some number of non-obvious edge cases.

Curious why the "hard problem" disclaimer is on the 4th?

The 4th also has a 90% solve rate (with 50% more submissions) while the 3rd has 44%.

Re: Google Code Jam – Contest scoreboard

#9

Post by admp »

idle_processor wrote: post #6
modulus1 wrote: post #4

I'm always amazed at the speed of these guys. Top guy got it all done in an hour. I don't know if they are geniuses or if they practice this stuff every day.

First place was taken by Gennady.Korotkevich, also known as "tourist." He has a history of placing extremely highly in sport programming contests[0], is at the top of topcoder's algorithm section[1], and has had several articles[2,3] written about him. I imagine there's a lot of practice involved, but I wasn't able to spot an interview that specified the exact amount of time tourist spends coding or studying algorith…

There's an interview with Korotkevich dating from IOI 2009:

- How many hours a day are you in front of the computer?

- Not more than three to four. I like playing football and table tennis, so I try to find time for sports as well.

http://www.ioi2009.org/downloads/br8-3str-en.pdf

Re: Google Code Jam – Contest scoreboard

#10

Post by RookToH7 »

prezjordan wrote: post #3

Had a lot of fun with this one. Seems much tougher than previous years.

That's what I thought initially as well, but in the end I ended up solving more than last year or the year before. I felt like I wasn't going to get anything after A and B at first, though.
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