Issue

During Codeforces Round 998 Div. 3, I solved Problem F — "Multiplicative Arrays." Unfortunately, I have received a plagiarism flag for my submission, which appears to match other solutions(2 other ones). I would like to explain my perspective on this matter and highlight a significant concern regarding this problem.

Problem 2060F is almost identical to a previously published problem on LeetCode: Problem 1735 — Count Ways to Make Array With Product. I had solved this LeetCode problem earlier and referred to various solutions during my learning process. As a result, I was already familiar with the logic and was able to solve the Codeforces problem during the contest.

The similarities between the two problems extend beyond the concept—they are nearly identical in formulation and solution approach. Since LeetCode 1735 is publicly available and widely discussed, it's possible that multiple participants, including me, relied on the same logic or implementation.

I believe the plagiarism flag on my submission is unfair because: — The problem itself is a duplicate of an existing and well-known LeetCode problem. — Many participants may have encountered and solved LeetCode 1735 before, leading to overlapping solutions. — Similar solutions are inevitable when a problem is based on a publicly available problem that has been solved and discussed extensively.

My intent was not to copy anyone's code during the contest, but rather to apply knowledge I had already gained while solving LeetCode 1735.

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Request to Codeforces Authorities

I kindly request MikeMirzayanov and the Codeforces team to review this issue and consider the following:

Investigate the overlap between Problem 2060F and LeetCode 1735.

Please reevaluate the plagiarism verdict for my solution, as it is not the result of cheating but of hard work..

Thank you for your time and understanding