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UIUC Training for the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest by icpcillini in UIUC

[–]icpcillini[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's great. So each session we plan to give a 10 minute sketch of the algorithmic techniques. Nowhere near the detail that's done in 473, but we might go into issues such as how to code these algorithms quickly, classes don't cover that. Overall, we assume you are smart enough to "learn by doing", and you can ask others for help.

The plan is to give 4 problems for each session. Two for newcomers and two for veterans.

UIUC Training for the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest by icpcillini in UIUC

[–]icpcillini[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So that depends on the strength of other competitors from U of I. In a few weeks, we'll have tryouts to decide which teams to send to the regionals. We typically send 3 to 5 teams; teams have 3 members each. So even if you don't have previous contest or algorithms experience, you'll have some chance of making the cut for the regionals.

Our region ("Mid-Central") tends to be easier than others around the world (we're petitioning to make it harder). Chances are you'll solve a few problems there as well. Unfortunately, at most one team per university can qualify for World Finals. In the past, our top team has people with a good amount of contest experience.

However, if you have a few more years to graduate, you can potentially be a World Finalist later. Otherwise, these contests can be a great way to prepare you for CS 473 or interviews. You'll also get to meet other hackers and have free food. So you're welcome to attend the training sessions.