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Competitive Programming

Competitive Programming Tips for Beginners

Essential algorithms, data structures, and problem-solving strategies for aspiring competitive programmers. From basics to ICPC preparation.

December 10, 202514 min read

Getting Started

Competitive programming changed my life. It led to the ICPC World Finals and shaped how I approach software engineering. Here's what I wish I knew when starting.

Essential Data Structures

Master these before anything else:

Arrays and Strings

  • Manipulation techniques
  • Two-pointer method
  • Sliding window

    • Stacks and Queues

  • Monotonic stack problems
  • BFS with queues
  • Expression evaluation

    • Trees and Graphs

  • DFS and BFS traversal
  • Binary trees
  • Graph representations (adjacency list vs matrix)

    • Hash Maps and Sets

  • O(1) lookup
  • Counting problems
  • Two-sum patterns

    • Core Algorithms

    Sorting

    Understand when to use which:

  • Quick sort for general purpose
  • Merge sort when stability matters
  • Counting sort for bounded integers

    • Searching

  • Binary search (and its variations)
  • Binary search on answer
  • Ternary search

    • Dynamic Programming

    The most important topic:

  • Identify overlapping subproblems
  • Define state clearly
  • Write recurrence relation
  • Implement (top-down or bottom-up)

    • Graph Algorithms

  • Shortest path (Dijkstra, Bellman-Ford)
  • Minimum spanning tree (Kruskal, Prim)
  • Topological sort
  • Strongly connected components

    • Problem-Solving Strategy

    During Practice

  • **Read carefully** - Misreading costs time
  • **Identify problem type** - Pattern recognition speeds solving
  • **Start with brute force** - Then optimize
  • **Test with examples** - Before submitting
  • **Learn from solutions** - Even when you solve it

    • During Contests

  • **Read all problems first** - Identify easy ones
  • **Solve easy problems quickly** - Build confidence
  • **Manage time** - Don't get stuck on one problem
  • **Debug systematically** - Print statements are your friend

    • Recommended Resources

    Online Judges

  • **Codeforces** - Best for regular practice
  • **LeetCode** - Great for interview prep
  • **AtCoder** - Clean problems, good for beginners
  • **USACO** - Structured learning path

    • Books

  • "Competitive Programming 3" by Steven Halim
  • "Introduction to Algorithms" (CLRS)
  • "Guide to Competitive Programming" by Antti Laaksonen

    • YouTube Channels

  • Errichto
  • William Lin
  • SecondThread

    • Practice Schedule

    For serious improvement:

    Daily (2-3 hours)

  • 2-3 problems at your level
  • 1 problem slightly above your level

    • Weekly

  • 1 virtual contest
  • Review all unsolved problems
  • Learn one new topic deeply

    • Monthly

  • Participate in rated contests
  • Track progress
  • Adjust focus areas

    • Common Mistakes

  • **Solving too-easy problems** - Challenge yourself
  • **Not reading editorials** - Learning from others is efficient
  • **Skipping fundamentals** - Basics matter more than tricks
  • **Comparing to others** - Focus on your progress
  • **Burnout** - Take breaks, it's a marathon

    • My Journey

  • **Year 1**: Struggled with basic problems, rated 1200
  • **Year 2**: Consistent practice, reached 1600
  • **Year 3**: ETCPC Gold, rated 1900
  • **Year 4**: ICPC World Finals

    • It takes time. Trust the process.

    Final Advice

  • **Be consistent** - Daily practice beats weekend marathons
  • **Embrace difficulty** - Hard problems make you better
  • **Join a community** - Learn with others
  • **Enjoy it** - If it's not fun, you won't persist

    • Competitive programming is a journey. Start today.