All developers with any skill level are welcome. However, participants should be at least 18 years old. In order to enter the Contest, you must:
- Register for the event by filling the registration form;
- Make sure you have a valid email address;
- Create (if you don’t have one yet) a github account;
- Bring a laptop with you;
- Have fun at the event :)
In order to receive a prize, you must provide your name, phone number, email address, and/or a valid postal address (for prize delivery, if applicable).
We are scoring all contestants by 2 criterias:
- Highest Score First. Contestants will be ranked by highest score first and lowest score last. You get points for correctly solving coding puzzles.
- Ties Ranked by Score. In the event of a tie between contestants, the one with the highest score from the jury wins. The Jury will give higher scores to the fastest, most accurate, elegant or interesting solutions.
First of all, you can use internet in any shape or form you want :)
Editors. You may use any editor or development environment, including those made available online as long as your code is not accessible to others.
Programming Language and Compiler. You may use almost any programming language to solve the challenges. You are not allowed to use esoteric, declarative and array programming languages. The compiler, interpreter, libraries, and external services you use must be available so that anyone else can use it for free without a time limitation and without violating any rights of any person or entity. As an exception to the general rule, the following are permissible:
- Compilers and interpreters that require Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X, as long as the compiler or interpreter itself is free;
- Any further exceptions that Mixbook may communicate to you by email or during the Coding Challenge Event.
Libraries. If you include a library permitted by subsection above in your submission, it must be clearly marked using comments in the code with a citation to its source, which at a minimum must include a URL where others can access it.
Follow the rules in README.md of how to submit your code. In short: prepare the source code, the output file with results (output.out) and send them to challenge@mixbook.com with the problem name in subject. You are not limited in time to submit your solution.
Don't worry if your solution has a wrong answer. You can always rework your code and submit it again.
We run your code against hidden test cases. Depending on the output your code produced, you can get one the following answers:
- Accepted. Congratulations, your code passed all the test cases! It's time to solve a new challenge!
- Wrong Answer. The output your code produced didn't match the output expected by the test case. Rethink your approach and think about whether you misunderstood the problem or missed a corner case.
- Wrong Format. Make sure that the file you provided as output is a simple text file, and your code is also attached to the form.
Don't share hints/codes/strategy during a live contest — it violates the contest rules. It's always nice to help a fellow programmer learn, but posting spoilers during a competition makes it unfair. Once the contest ends, feel free to compare solutions with other coders and help others learn how it's done!
Read the statement a few more times, and check the sample solutions that can help you. If you still find it confusing, ask for help! If there's something in the problem statement you find misleading and think could be improved — look for nearby staff or jury members and mention the specific sections you find confusing. We will also help with translating terms you don’t know.