Mamun's blog

How To Improve My Codeforces Rating?
By Mamun, history, 4 years ago, In English

I have already solved 500+ problems in codeforces , 100 problem in another judge and participated 72 rated contest. Even I didn't become green yet. I can't be able to improve my rating .How can I improve my coding skill as well as rating also? Can You suggest me which strategy I have to follow to choose problem-sets for practicing. Thanks In Advance..

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +32 Vote: I do not like it

solve problems with difficulty level ( your current rating + 200 ).try this you will see change very soon.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    Thank you for your advice . I have started to do practicing above my comfort zone. First I plan to solve ** 1200** difficulty problem at least 50 then I will go for** 1300** difficulty problem.. I hope, I will be successful.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
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      Think every possible way before looking editorial as solving just by looking editorial will not be much beneficial!!

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
      ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it -32 Vote: I do not like it

      before jumping to CF problems u should solve and understand the concept of the previous 20 years JEE advance maths ques first (or u can solve prev years maths olympiad problems too)... and after that watch, MIT Algo lectures once and then solve 500 C and 1000 D and 1500 div2 E problems and so on... then u will surely improve...

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

      On a side note, not all 1200 level problems are easier than all 1300 level problems. You could try solving problems in a specific range, let's say 1200-1300.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    I think knowing the rating before solving the problem kills the fun, instead I would recommend that if you are not able to solve 'problem C' in Div.2 contest, then pick the previous contest and solve problem C, this would also keep the suspense of rating of question(and also do not look at the problem tags). Also, once in week try to push your limits by trying even more hard problems. Basically, you should be comfortable being uncomfortable.

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

I have a similar question. Here is my codeforces problems solved rating distribution thing: https://ibb.co/HdLmZKJ (620 total problems solved). I have also done 44 USACO Gold Problems and almost all the USACO Silver problems. Yet I see almost no improvement in my rating.

Idk if this is normal (probably is) but oftentimes, I can't solve a problem in-contest but when I attempt it after contest, I solve it very easily. I think I get super nervous during contests and make many dumb mistakes? idk.

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it +65 Vote: I do not like it

I was pupil/specialist for many years until one day I decided to solve 1600-rated problems. I solved more than 50 of them, many of them timing myself. In that process, I often tried to extract a lesson from my experiences. Now I'm expert, so I can write with conviction that my effort gave results.

After a round, I often ask myself: what I did wrong? What can I do to improve the next time? Is not always easy, but it works.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    yeah it is a cool tactic to reconsider way of thinking after contest after failing a problem and enhancing it. It also worked for me to do that and to learn from what I did wrong and from the mistakes in thinking.

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4 years ago, # |
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Err... Just practice makes perfect, I think.
Maybe you can try the problems above your level.

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4 years ago, # |
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maybe using a timer or doing a vc helps. You would like to emulate the contest environment while attempting the problem.

Helps you do the same stuff which you end up doing in the contests and work on them.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +21 Vote: I do not like it

Among the $$$500$$$ problems you have solved, $$$200+$$$ are only $$$800$$$ rated problems. Your solve :

800 : 212 problems
900 — 1300 : 50 problems on average.

If you want to be pupil you need to solve $$$A$$$ and $$$B$$$ almost every contest which means you need to master the rating range $$$800 - 1400$$$. So you are basically saying solving $$$50$$$ problems for each rating is enough for you to master that. Unfortunately it's not always true. I needed more than $$$120$$$ problems for each rating in the range $$$1500-1700$$$ and additional $$$200$$$ problems on $$$1800-2000$$$ to be confident in this rating range. What I would say just practice at least a considerable amount before judging yourself, instead of finding some magic strategy.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    Yeah,really there is no magic ...but when I see graphs of ordinary people like Anudeep Nekkanti and Sumeet Verma, I wonder how did this ordinary people become so extraordinarily good and then it really feels like magic !!!! XD----orz Sumeet Verma, orz Anudeep Nekkanti

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
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      A lot of people who started at the same time as me are way ahead of me. My take on this matter is we tend to put everyone on the same starting point when we start one activity. But that's silly. God knows what was someone's study approach that made their mathematical understanding better, or what games they played that made them brainstorm and think faster, or what competition they used to participate that boosted their problem solving skills, or what amount of cp they enjoy to do everyday that puts them in a better position. Disregarding someone's 10+ years of life lessons and opportunities is not prudent.

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4 years ago, # |
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I try to keep doing virtual participation, and learning different techniques from time to time. Perhaps you can try this out.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    how much do you upsolve after the VCs? Do you upsolve all the remaining questions?

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
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      When I first started virtual contest, I felt really tough and for most of the time, I could only solve Div2 A&B and I had to read tutorials to solve Div2 C and the following problems. If you have time, you could read this blog My advance and my thought, after completing about 100 virtual rounds, which I wrote several years ago.

      Nowadays, I try to solve all Div2 problems and sometimes even Div1 D or E, with the help of tutorials. I think I have learned more techniques than before and improved a lot, however you could see that my rating is going down recently....

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
        ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

        Great post, also handbook is great resource. One problem I find in it is a newbie is unable to implement those things. One can find c++ codes here for the handbook : https://tinyurl.com/whtucr88

        I found them useful, although not complete.

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4 years ago, # |
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try to take virtual contest. And during the contest try to realise on which question you are stuck. suppose if you are able to do A and B but not able to do C. practice D question(one question more than your level) so next time you may able to do C question during the contest.

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4 years ago, # |
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1.Start proving your solution. 2.Try to solve problems above your comfort zone. 3.Read editorial even you solved by yourself. 4.See at least two people solutions. 5.Upsolve problems that you tried in the contest but failed.

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4 years ago, # |
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When I checked codeforces visualizer I noticed that 300 of your 500 problems are As and 150 of them are B. I actually committed the same mistake. I solved about 200 easy problems before I realized I was wasting my time. try challenging yourself more. Good luck :)

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    Yes. Brother I think, this is my only fault I never go out from my comfort zone. That's Why I decide to practice above my rating(starting from around 1200 difficulty).Thanks for helping me.

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4 years ago, # |
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Get better rank in cf contest! :v

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4 years ago, # |
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Actually, i'm not very fond of 'try problems above your level' answer, since it might be very frustrating even if you'll add just 100-200 to your comfort zone level. I would rather recommend you to solve problems from your comfort zone and try to slightly change them, e.g. change xor to bitwise and, think in some weird ways to do it. I made it to the 2000~ in quite short period of activity with this technique but of course it's all up to you: just try everything and do what you think best suits you.

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4 years ago, # |
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Lol no masters in the thread

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4 years ago, # |
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View my rating graph and promblem sloving graph.You will know how to improve.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    Can you please give me any suggestion to improve my rating? I am wandering in the range 1370-1440.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
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      Sorry for my poor English.
      If you are still having trouble solving Div2 ABC,here is my way to get out from the situation:
      - list all the possible approaches you came up with. - try to convert the old idea to the new problem. - if you still can't solve it,check the editorial to get the key idea,and complete all the process by yourself later.

      These steps are going to training the skills that you convert some old ideas into new problems since you had solved so many problems and must had seen many ideas. And also,your speed for solving problems is too slow for Div2 ABC,maybe you have to think all the possible ways to do and then complete them.If one is too complicated,just skip it becasue Div2 ABC problems hardly contain complicated implementations. Hope this can help you out.

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4 years ago, # |
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quality>quantity — solving a few hard problems > solving many easy problems

A good chunk of your "500+ problems" are difficulty 800 which isn't helping much

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4 years ago, # |
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Don't miss any contest. After a contest, Well you can solve 1-2 problems that's good enough. Then, choose a problem whose accepted rate is maximum but you can not solve this. There are two case of this problem- 1. You know the technique for solving this problem. 2. or not. If the technique is unknow to you. Try to learn the technique and solve the problem. using this process, I think gradually you learn a lot technique, InShaAllah.

sorry for my poor English.

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it -9 Vote: I do not like it

before jumping to CF problems u should solve and understand the concept of the previous 20 years JEE advance maths ques first... and after that watch, MIT Algo lectures once and then solve 500 C and 1000 D and 1500 div2 E problems and so on... then u will surely improve...

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    Damn it! You are not allowed to reveal tourist's secret.

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4 years ago, # |
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