Please read the new rule regarding the restriction on the use of AI tools. ×

SecondThread's blog

Meta Hacker Cup 2024 Schedule — Introducing the Meta Hacker Cup AI Track
By SecondThread, 3 months ago, In English

Meta Hacker Cup 2024

Meta Hacker Cup is back! We’re excited to announce our schedule for our 2024 season, kicking off on September 20th!

*While optional, we recommend you participate in the Practice Round to familiarize yourself with our submission system before Round 1, when time will be at a premium.

The contest will be held on the Meta Hacker Cup site. Registration will open July 24th.

You can expect familiar prizes in the human track, including T-Shirts, Elite T-Shirts, and cash prizes for finalists. We’ll announce more prize details closer to Round 2.

Introducing the Meta Hacker Cup AI Track

For the first time this year, we'll also be running an AI track. In it, instead of solving problems manually, contestants will create an autonomous code generation system before the start of the contest. Each contestant can compete either in the human track or the AI track, but not both.

We hope this will create an interesting benchmark for how well state-of-the-art machines are able to perform against the best programmers in the world on complex programming tasks. If you're interested in competing in the AI track, you can join our discord server to learn more.

  • Vote: I like it
  • +528
  • Vote: I do not like it

»
3 months ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it +32 Vote: I do not like it

Yayyy... Finally it's happening! Another chance for a T-Shirt!!

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +2 Vote: I do not like it

2023 season?

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +12 Vote: I do not like it

It's happening!! Super excited!

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

yay , super excited !!!!

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +9 Vote: I do not like it

how hard to be ranked in 2000 in Meta Hacker Cup compare to Div1+2 round in cf?

I'm genuinely curious

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

Yayy.... it's happening!!! very excited to participate for the first time.

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +7 Vote: I do not like it

why doesnt hacker cup use simple testing like codeforces does. i had a really hard time last season

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +23 Vote: I do not like it

Counting down the days to Meta Hacker Cup 2024. Long live Hacker Cup!

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -18 Vote: I do not like it

Too bad Codeforces doesn't have "haha" react

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    3 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +13 Vote: I do not like it

    Because the ai submissions will fall on their face?

    → Reply
  • »
    »
    5 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Good luck to you @Swistakk . Last time you missed final round by just 44 seconds. This time, I am rooting for you to reach Final <3 .

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      5 weeks ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      Thank you! Recalling that I was so close last year actually gives me some hope xD

      → Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

nice, i am excited! i hope ill get t-shirt :)

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -6 Vote: I do not like it

Same thing every year. Make promises to change submission format at the end of the year, and keep it same the next year :clown:

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    3 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it -54 Vote: I do not like it

    Real sad Google stopped organizing. They were the only ones who did annual programming contests right.

    → Reply
  • »
    »
    3 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

    https://codeforces.net/blog/entry/119880?#comment-1063469

    Where did they promise?

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      3 months ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it -10 Vote: I do not like it

      Maybe 'promise' wasn't the right word, but I've been here long enough to recall SecondThread talking about updating the format. Even the comment you linked says they are looking into it. It used to be a fine format when there were so many annual contests, and it diversified the submission formats a bit. Now, I think it may be time to consider updating it for real. The only reason I can think of for not doing so is that they actually haven't put in any effort. Anyway, good luck everyone, may the stack limit be with you.

      → Reply
      • »
        »
        »
        »
        3 months ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +11 Vote: I do not like it

        Perhaps they looked into it, decided it wasn't right for whatever reason, and moved on. Why do people want to make contests as same and boring as possible?

        → Reply
        • »
          »
          »
          »
          »
          3 months ago, # ^ |
            Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

          By boring you're talking about a submission format that reduces stress for participants? I'm sure it even reduces stress for them cos they won't have to answer hundreds of clarifications.

          → Reply
          • »
            »
            »
            »
            »
            »
            2 months ago, # ^ |
              Vote: I like it -10 Vote: I do not like it

            Or maybe get an actual IDE? Cause I bet that all of the top coders have their own IDEs which can compile the large testcase in literally ≤ 1 min.

            → Reply
            • »
              »
              »
              »
              »
              »
              »
              2 months ago, # ^ |
                Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

              I fail to see how an IDE helps here

              → Reply
              • »
                »
                »
                »
                »
                »
                »
                »
                2 months ago, # ^ |
                  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

                well the only reason it's stressful would be if you test and your compiler can't process the testcase. And that can be solved using an IDE with the proper configurations. Otherwise the time limit is definitely sufficient.

                → Reply
                • »
                  »
                  »
                  »
                  »
                  »
                  »
                  »
                  »
                  2 months ago, # ^ |
                    Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

                  How does a compiler process a testcase? You should read about IDEs, text editors, and compilers to understand their functions. You're mixing stuff up. Even if you're using the fastest IDE (whatever that is) how fast the program executes is still dependent on your computer specs.

                  → Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it -20 Vote: I do not like it

nvm

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +46 Vote: I do not like it

I wanted to point out that the date of the finals coincides with the date of the Putnam collegiate math competition. It is not uncommon for people who are interested in competitive programming to also take part in such math competitions. Perhaps this could be looked at.

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +4 Vote: I do not like it

Sir, is the submission system same like last time? If yes, please change it to like some online judges or like codeforces.

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

In it, instead of solving problems manually, contestants will create an autonomous code generation system before the start of the contest.

and

Each contestant can compete either in the human track or the AI track, but not both.

Why are we not allowing a contestant participate in both the human track and the AI track?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    3 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +21 Vote: I do not like it

    Does it even matter? Nobody is going to choose the AI path anyways (I have only 3 candidates in mind and they are all companies)

    → Reply
  • »
    »
    3 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

    Maybe because the problem statements are same?

    → Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +13 Vote: I do not like it

How will the T-Shirt be looking this year

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -10 Vote: I do not like it

why dont u post youtube streams nowadays

love your channel

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Instead of having a timer for test data download, will AI participants have a timer for problem statement download? :pepesmug:

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    3 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +49 Vote: I do not like it

    Yep. And your timer will start when the contest starts. So it’ll be like a 6 minute contest basically.

    → Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Finally!!

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Is the judge system same as before like locally running and submit results?

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +11 Vote: I do not like it

Hi everyone. I have a question: Will they deliver T-shirts to Ukraine?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Hi! The T-shirts are delivered by FedEx

    → Reply
  • »
    »
    2 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    If our delivery partners ship to your region, then we will. I recall last year Ukraine was one of the regions that FedEx didn't ship to. I'm not sure if this has changed since then.

    → Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +16 Vote: I do not like it

Yes yes yes yes let's goooooooo

→ Reply
»
3 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

letss gooo

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

LETS GO HACKER CUP IS BACK!!!

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

is it happening?

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Is the only on-site round is the last? I also wanna know what is the difference between the AI and human versions?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

    The difference is written in the blog

    → Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Excited

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

What is the last date of registration?

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +4 Vote: I do not like it

as its written, today is the day when registration starts, but its showing page is unavailable.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    If you weren't signed into facebook before, we were accidentally preventing you from seeing the page before because your age verification was failing. It's fixed now.

    → Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

Why does the page show unavailable? The registration starts today right?

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Was there always an age limit?

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +21 Vote: I do not like it

How comprehensive will the test cases be (if there will be any)? From what I have seen, test cases tend to make or break the solution search strategy in attempts at autonomous code generation like AlphaCode, for example.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Do you mean in the full data? We'll endeavor to make them comprehensive as we usually do, but there's always the general possibility that there's some weird edge case that a solution we didn't consider fails. You can see examples of the kinds of test cases you can expect in the previous years' data.

    → Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Is anyone facing problem in signing up for Facebook?

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

Will the finals be online?

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

In the human track rules, unless I missed something, it is not prohibited to use directly AI, or something like in the AtCoder wording ("It is prohibited to directly input all or part of the information issued as problems into software"). Not sure it would be useful (yet...), but anyway does that mean it might be allowed?

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I have signed up. Can I change the size of my T-shirt ? If yes how ?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    You’ll enter your shirt size when it’s about to be shipped to you later in the contest season

    → Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

Why is it so hard to create a new Facebook account?

After uploading a verification photograph, an appeal is automatically sent, and my account is disabled for no reason whatsoever within the next 24 hours.

→ Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

can someone tell where can I practice past problems and submit them?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Here, you can select any of the past seasons, and any of the rounds and participate. You do have to be logged in to submit though.

    → Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Hi, what is the minimum age requirement?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    18 years old

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      2 months ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      any rationale for this, or any chance this could be changed?

      → Reply
      • »
        »
        »
        »
        2 months ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

        There's lots of scrutiny about showing the names of minors who competed on a publicly available scoreboard, and Meta didn't want to open themselves up to needing to defend doing so either in court or in public opinion. For what it's worth, this has always been in our Terms of Service.

        → Reply
        • »
          »
          »
          »
          »
          2 months ago, # ^ |
            Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

          Thanks for the clarification! I guess I've never read the ToS carefully enough in the past.

          → Reply
        • »
          »
          »
          »
          »
          6 weeks ago, # ^ |
            Vote: I like it -8 Vote: I do not like it

          So it's ok for minors to have a Facebook account and be shown to the world but it's not ok to appear on a competition scoreboard?

          → Reply
          • »
            »
            »
            »
            »
            »
            6 weeks ago, # ^ |
              Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

            You can tweak privacy settings when you create an account. You can’t with a leaderboard.

            → Reply
            • »
              »
              »
              »
              »
              »
              »
              6 weeks ago, # ^ |
                Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

              But you can't hide your name

              → Reply
»
2 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What's the difference between human and ai track?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    6 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it -8 Vote: I do not like it

    In the human track, you write code to solve the problems yourself.

    In the AI track, you write a code generation system before the contest to solve the problems itself.

    → Reply
»
6 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I'm so excited about this year's contest!! Thanks for the post!!

→ Reply
»
6 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Was registration opened for only one day?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    6 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    It's still open. You just need to sign into your facebook account to be able to register, as it says on the site.

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      6 weeks ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      For human track, will there be only competitive programming type questions or other?

      → Reply
      • »
        »
        »
        »
        5 weeks ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

        All tracks will have questions similar to the kinds of things you'd see in competitive programming contests. You can see our questions from previous years as an example of what you can expect.

        → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      5 weeks ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      Is it still open now or has it closed? I can't see any registration button for round 1, for practice round it is still open though...

      → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      5 weeks ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

      I tried creating an account, but it got disabled citing it doesn't follow community standards, and that I can't request a review of the decision. So, is there anyway you can help with it?

      → Reply
»
5 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Finally, a chance to get t-shirt :))

Excited !

→ Reply
»
5 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

Can anyone please tell me if the registration for meta hacker cup round 1 has started or is it already finished, I am able to register for practice round but there is no button to register for round 1

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    5 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

    It has started and hasn't finished yet. You must log into Facebook to be able to register.

    → Reply
»
5 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What Kind of questions can i expect in Round 1 ?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    5 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    You can look at our questions from previous years to get an idea of what types of questions will appear in each round

    → Reply
»
5 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

img I am unable to register for round 1

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    5 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    registration has not started yet i think for main rounds!

    → Reply
  • »
    »
    4 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    If you register for the practice round, we'll automatically register you for Round 1 afterwards.

    → Reply
»
4 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I cant update Email Address. I already updated my email at facebook account, but hacker cup site dosent get my email and I cant even write my email.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    4 weeks ago, # ^ |
    ← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    I just looked into the code that shows emails on the profile page and the Hacker Cup code doesn't even store your email. We're just reading from your Facebook user's primary email. So technically it seems like is/should be impossible for these to get out of sync with your Facebook email.

    Can you please send me a direct message explaining why you think these are out of sync and what you did to update your facebook account's primary email?

    → Reply
»
4 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

i bet that problemset will have over 100k words

→ Reply
»
4 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I just opened hacker cup website and got to know that I finished in top 2000 in round 2 last season. I missed the t-shirt claim process. Can I claim now?? Hopefully not!! :)

→ Reply
»
4 weeks ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I have my email linked to my Facebook account, but it still doesn't appear on my profile.Could you please advise on what to do now ?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    4 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    mine has not updated also ! Did your email updated ?

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      4 weeks ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      It seems like the issue hasn't been resolved yet. As SecondThread mentioned earlier, they get the email from Facebook’s primary email. However, I'm still unsure what the exact problem is. My email is public on Facebook, so there shouldn't be any issues with visibility.

      → Reply
      • »
        »
        »
        »
        4 weeks ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

        i updated my email just 1 hour ago! Is it necessary to have an email to get a t-shirt ?

        → Reply
        • »
          »
          »
          »
          »
          4 weeks ago, # ^ |
            Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

          I guess the only way for communication regarding prizes is email.

          → Reply
      • »
        »
        »
        »
        4 weeks ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

        Bro,if your problem get fixed then plz inform me also!

        → Reply
  • »
    »
    3 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    The contact info we use here is your primary facebook email. The easiest way to update this is in the facebook app if you go to Menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Search for "email" > Email, and then updating your primary email.

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      9 days ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      I have clicked on Email, but I don't see any option to update the primary email. All there is, is some notification settings.

      → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      6 days ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      can you update "Edit this in your Facebook settings" to the correct place?

      → Reply
»
4 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I have successfully registered for the practice round, but when I attempt to access Round 1, it shows on the left side that I have not registered for this round. Could you please tell me with the registration process for Round 1?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    4 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    You will be registered automatically if you registered for the practice round.

    → Reply
»
3 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Can I register for it now ? Or am I late

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    12 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    You can still register.

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      12 days ago, # ^ |
      ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      I have solved 2 problems in the qualification round in Human track but I don't know if they are accepted,they are just showing a question mark there

      How can I register, can you please guide me ?

      → Reply
      • »
        »
        »
        »
        5 days ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

        During the contest, you won't know whether or not your submissions are correct. Now that the contest is over, you should be able to see the result.

        → Reply
»
3 weeks ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What are the rules about AI for the human track? Can I ask for hints, solution, boilerplate code, debugging, refactoring, etc even though I’m participating in the human track? If not, how would that be enforced? Thank you.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

    The FAQ has been updated — https://www.facebook.com/codingcompetitions/hacker-cup/2024/round-1/faq

    Human Track — Can I work with other people / AIs, or use pre-existing code?

    You may use any code or online information that had been written before the start of the contest. However, you may not communicate with anybody else about the contest, including non-competitors, while it is running. You may not use any AI system for assistance during the contest.

    If you submit the same code as somebody else, or if the Hacker Cup team in any other way has reason to believe that you have communicated with another competitor, you will be disqualified.

    Yes, AI includes o1

    → Reply
»
2 weeks ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +14 Vote: I do not like it

MHC Round 1 conflicts with the 2024 ICPC North America Qualifier (NAQ) which happens at 11:00 — 16:00 PT on October 5th. Considering many universities in NA use NAQ for team selection for ICPC Regionals, will there be another bye system setup like there was last year? Not sure how this would work since the only round before round 1 is the qualification round.

And alternatively, can future MHC rounds happen on Sundays since it seems like there will always be ICPC conflicts on Saturdays in October/November every year.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

    SecondThread

    → Reply
  • »
    »
    12 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +13 Vote: I do not like it

    We won't be offering alternatives to Round 1 this year. We hope to see you on the scoreboard; of note, you could likely use the first hour of the contest to qualify for round 2 even if you're participating in NAQ.

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      7 hours ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      SecondThread since you are not offering alternatives to round 1 this year, can you at least change the requirement for qualifying to round 2 to be a points lower bound (like it has been for nearly 10 years)? I know last year the requirement was originally top 5000, but changed to 4 points due to system issues. But considering the NAQ conflict, 1 hour may not be enough to solve enough problems to secure top 5000 (especially if there are system issues in the first hour).

      → Reply
»
2 weeks ago, # |
← Rev. 9   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Hi, SecondThread. I am not able to submit for the older contests that I participated in. As opposed to a Submit for Practice button for the contests I didn't touch, I see a Submit on Home Page button now for the contests I've submitted once for, but there is no Submit button on home page.

Can you help please? Here are pictures. (I'm unrated, so I can only link them.)

UPDATE: They fixed it.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    For me it has an option to "Download encrypted problems and input" but when I press it shows an error.

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      2 weeks ago, # ^ |
      ← Rev. 5   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      I'm seeing the same now. It wasn't there last night. Anyways, it's still not working for some older contests.

      UPDATE: They fixed it.

      → Reply
»
2 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

There is no countdown for the timer before it expires, How much time we have to run the solutions ?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    2 weeks ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    In human track we have 6 minutes. Below the validate and submit button it shows the time remaining.

    → Reply
»
2 weeks ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I hope I get a t-shirt this time!!

→ Reply
»
13 days ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

The input files in the HackerCup are quite large in size. VSCode crashes if I run my source code with the large input file and there is no output. Does anyone know how to resolve this ? Also tried using Sublime but didn't help much.

→ Reply
»
12 days ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

SecondThread Do the problems in the Practice Round have a TIME LIMIT? I couldn't find any info related to this on the contest platform and after submitting the solution to a problem, we can't see the judgement of our submission. If yes, how to know if it is 1 sec or 2 sec or 4 sec?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    12 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +7 Vote: I do not like it

    There is no official TL because the solutions are not run by the system.

    You just need to submit before the 6-minute timer expires. Considering you need a minute to download the input and upload the output, the TL is somewhere around 300 seconds.

    → Reply
  • »
    »
    12 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

    If it's helpful, all of our judge solutions run in a few seconds to all problems on a modest laptop

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      11 days ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      But is it ok to submit a solution that takes a minute for example?

      → Reply
      • »
        »
        »
        »
        11 days ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

        Yeah, if it takes less than like 5 minutes, there's no way we're going to DQ you.

        → Reply
»
12 days ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

How does the round system work? Is each round independent and just for the qualification of next round. Or There is some accumulation of results of each round (like prefix sum) that is taken into account for next round?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    12 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +11 Vote: I do not like it

    Each round is independent, as mentioned in the contest page.

    Anybody can also enter Round 1. If you place in the top 5,000 participants in Round 1, with ties broken by penalty time, you will advance to Round 2.

    In Round 2, the top 500 competitors will advance to Round 3.

    In Round 3, the top 25 competitors will advance to the Final Round.

    The winner of the Final Round will be the 2024 Hacker Cup champion!

    → Reply
»
12 days ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -11 Vote: I do not like it

Why do I have to go through such a long and convoluted process to just upload a submission? This is annoying

→ Reply
»
12 days ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Post contest discuss stream for practice round

→ Reply
»
12 days ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +2 Vote: I do not like it

Btw how is checker of Fall in Line implemented?

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    11 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +14 Vote: I do not like it

    It's less exciting than you'd think. When we generated the solutions, we naively found the best lines and counted how many points were on it. The checker is given the optimal answer, so it doesn't have to calculate it on the fly, it just checks if you're within x and 2x the number it is given.

    → Reply
»
11 days ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

In Problem 3 Fall in Line (very nice), luckily for me I think the trivial case with 3 ants not in line was not in the test cases. My code output is 3 (n instead of the smarter n-2) — correct answers are 1 or 2. I realized after submitting and I was almost sure it would have ended up in WA. This year favourable test cases :D

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    11 days ago, # ^ |
    ← Rev. 4   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    In this case any pair of 2 distinct points $$$P_i, P_j$$$ is a "witness" for a line with $$$p==2>=3/2==n/2$$$ points lying on that line. Maybe You've just rounded $$$n/2$$$ incorrectly while doing the comparison $$$p ?>=? n/2$$$.

    Anyways, problem C was a real "little delight"! ^_^

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      11 days ago, # ^ |
      ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      Getting random points 3 by 3 to find clues for possible lines with >n/2 points. As there aren't 3 points aligned, it outputs n. It always works, except with n=3. Outputing n-2 it would have always worked.

      And yes, C and D2.

      → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      11 days ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

      Happy to hear you liked it!

      → Reply
»
11 days ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +9 Vote: I do not like it

I am surprised that intended solution for D2 is AVL/Splay/Treap instead of this geniosity

Solution
→ Reply
  • »
    »
    11 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Mine is very similar (I do not know splay/treap):

    code
    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      11 days ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      Can you please explain the idea behind your D2 solution? Thanks.

      → Reply
      • »
        »
        »
        »
        11 days ago, # ^ |
        ← Rev. 4   Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

        Assuming you already solved D1 and know that we only need to find the final positions of the stones:

        • Each stone we throw will either end up or end up pushing another stone to the $$$E_i$$$ th empty space.
        • Every stone that was pushed leaves the stone that pushed it behind one position from where it was.
        • This is better visualized as filling up the $$$E_i$$$ th empty space and shifting the positions before it backwards once (this is where splay/treap comes in).
        • Instead of thinking about positions we think about the empty space between them. Let $$$S_i$$$ be the empty space between the $$$i-1$$$ th and $$$i$$$ th rocks in sorted order with $$$S_0$$$ being the empty space between $$$0$$$ (exclusive) and the $$$0$$$ th stone.

        • Now watch what happens when we throw a stone:

          --X-XX----X we throw a stone with $$$E_i=5$$$.

          -X-XX--X--X

          • The empty space inserted into splits into 2 because of the shift.
          • $$$S_0$$$ is decremented.
          • All other $$$S_i$$$ do not change.
        • This means a new prefix sum $$$S_0+S_1+...+S_i$$$ is inserted with all prefix sums being decremented. We can handle the decrement of all prefix sums using an offset however notice that this offset is just $$$i+1$$$ since it is incremented once each time. Now the actual empty space before the $$$i$$$ th stone is $$$S_0+S_1+...+S_i-(i+1)$$$.
        • Instead of storing $$$S_i$$$ we store its prefix sums $$$P_i$$$. From the first observation we know the prefix sum to be inserted is $$$E_i-1$$$, but we need to account for the offset $$$P_i-(i+1)=E_i-1$$$. So we sort $$$P_i=E_i+i$$$.
        • We can now calculate the actual position of the $$$i$$$ th stone by adding the empty space before it $$$P_i-N$$$ (subtract the final offset $$$N$$$) with the number of stones before and including it $$$i+1$$$.
        → Reply
  • »
    »
    11 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Can you please explain your D2 solution?

    → Reply
  • »
    »
    11 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Wow that's brilliant. Wondering how this works though, would love to know the intuition behind it

    → Reply
»
11 days ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

hey SecondThread , in the practice round my ranking in my country is not showing but it is showing in global , in my profile and in the certificate . what is wrong ?

→ Reply
»
10 days ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it
  1. Will every round of the Hacker Cup have a fixed 3-hour time slot, or will a 24-hour window be provided in which I can attempt the round for 3 hours?
  2. Are the test cases given during the 6-minute duration only sample test cases? If not (which I believe is the case), what are the time and memory constraints for each problem?
  3. Which version of the g++ compiler is used to check our solutions?
  4. What is the qualifying criteria to advance to Round 2?

If anyone knows the answers to these queries, please comment.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    10 days ago, # ^ |
    ← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Why does it matter how they check our solutions, if your output.txt is correct, it’s correct no matter how they check it.

    → Reply
    • »
      »
      »
      10 days ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      Please answer other questions too

      → Reply
  • »
    »
    9 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it
    1. There will be a fixed 3-hour time slot.
    2. No, they are the actual test cases. I think there is no strict time and memory requirement for hackercup problems. If you can run the test cases and submit within 6 minutes its ok.
    3. I think code is only used for plagiarism and it is not actually run. Maybe someone else can confirm this.
    → Reply
»
6 days ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

https://www.facebook.com/codingcompetitions/hacker-cup/2024/practice-round

In this year's Practice Round, nobody practiced harder than Neal Wu. He was the first to solve each problem, at 3, 7, 12, 18 and 37 minutes respectively.

→ Reply
  • »
    »
    6 days ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it -9 Vote: I do not like it

    That is the only round where he could prevail, LOL

    → Reply