Summer is here! Time for ACs 😉
I’ve started following a2oj.com “ladders”, starting from the “< 1300” one. I hope to complete at least 7-8 of them by the end of summer vacations in mid-July. The first few are aimed at complete beginners, and thus are very easy implementation-based problems. It’s tough to do a lot of these in a single go – I become frustrated at the lack of resistance, and usually ~20 problems is my limit, after which I need a break. So, to spice things up, I’ve decided to alternate doing these ladder problems, and a random virtual contest on Codeforces.
My other aim during university vacations is to go through Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen et al. – it’s been on my to-do list for a long time, but I never really got around to reading it.
Right now, I’m at a stage where my coding skills are sufficiently developed, but my thinking ability is lacking. Usually, I’m simply unable to come up with a correct and efficient solution to tough problems (CF Div. 2 D or E are “tough” for me). If I do come up with a solution, the implementation part is not too tough. I may make a few errors here and there, but I’m reasonably fast at coding a good enough implementation of the solution. Thus, my primary aim at the moment is developing better mental skills. Reading CLRS and getting a better understanding of standard algorithms will go a long way to doing that, and practicing on the A2OJ ladders will help me get a taste of the kind of problems I’d like to be able to solve.
I’ll keep updating this blog with my progress reports. Till then, adios!
drajingo 