Instructions

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Algorithm Competition: Overview | Instructions | Registration | Registrants

Algorithm Competition Instructions

To be able to compete in the competition, you must be a University of Minnesota Twin Cities student or a University of Minnesota Twin Cities faculty member.

In order to compete, you must:

1. Register as a TopCoder member
2. Register for this TopCoder College Tour event

Languages

TopCoder supports four languages: Java, C++, C# and VB.NET
You can find out more about language support here: Choosing a Language

Phases

TopCoder competitions consist of three phases:

• Coding
• Challenge
• System-test

You can find out more information about each of the phases here: The Phases of a Rated Event

Competition Arena

The competition takes place in what is called in the Arena. The Arena can be run as an applet from within your web browser or as a stand alone Java Web Start application (recommended). In order to compete, you will need to have Java installed on your computer (Sun Java). You can find links to start the Arena on TopCoder.

Practice Arena

It is highly recommended that all new members visit the practice rooms prior to competing in an algorithm rated event. By visiting a practice room you will learn the Arena interface, the nature of the problems, and the expected structure of your solution. You will also get a chance to look at thousands of submissions in various languages from other competitors who have visited the practice rooms.

Practice Room FAQ

TopCoder FAQ