Finally, TopCoder announced the dates of TopCoder Open 2017 Algorithm and Marathon Competitions. Since it is not trivial to find this information on their website, I will reproduce it here.
TCO17 Algorithm Competition will have a usual structure with three online rounds and two onsite rounds. The location and the dates of onsite rounds have yet to be announced, but the dates of online rounds are already known:
- Round 1A: April 1, 2017 at 16:00 UTC.
- Round 1B: April 8, 2017 at 16:00 UTC.
- Round 1C: May 6, 2017 at 16:00 UTC.
- Round 2A: May 20, 2017 at 15:00 UTC (note the unusual time).
- Round 2B: July 8, 2017 at 16:00 UTC.
- Round 2C: July 22, 2017 at 16:00 UTC.
- Round 3A: August 5, 2017 at 16:00 UTC.
- Round 3B: August 19, 2017 at 16:00 UTC.
This year, 750 top contestants will advance from each sub-round of Round 1, 40 will advance from each sub-round of Round 2, and five from each sub-round of Round 3. Also, 250 TopCoder members with the highest rating advance to Round 2 automatically, as long as they competed in at least three rated TopCoder Algorithm rounds in total and in at least one such round between January 1 and Marth 31, 2017.
In addition to these online rounds, there will be six regional onsite rounds. To compete in any of them, it is necessary to be present at the event. These events are currently planned:
- Regional event in Austin, TX: April 29, 2017.
- Regional event in Saint Petersburg, Russia: May 7, 2017 (third year in a row).
- Regional event in Beijing, China: June 24, 2017 (second year in a row).
- Regional event in Warsaw, Poland: September 2, 2017.
- Regional event in Pittsburgh, PA: September 7, 2017.
Also, there will be a regional event in India, but its exact location and date will be announced later. From each of these rounds, 10 top contestants will advance to a special Wildcard Round, which will be held on September 16, 2017 at 16:00 UTC. From this round, two highest-scoring contestants will advance to the onsite round. So, in total, 12 contestants will advance to TCO17 Algorithm onsite round.
In TCO17 Marathon Competition, there will be three regular online rounds plus some number of Lightning Rounds. The dates for the regular rounds are as follows:
- Round 1: from April 12, 2017 17:00 UTC to April 26, 2017 17:00 UTC.
- Round 2: from May 10, 2017 17:00 UTC to May 24, 2017 17:00 UTC.
- Round 3: from July 5, 2017 17:00 UTC to July 19, 2017 17:00 UTC.
In each regular round, top 30 contestants will be awarded points based on their place. Lightning Rounds, of which none is currently announced, will award less points. Top ten contestants who accumulate the most total points will advance to the onsite round.
