NPTEL Course on Competitive Programming

Introduction

• Instructor: Neel Dhara, Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Gandhi Nagar
• Purpose: Overview of the competitive programming course and its relevance.

What is Competitive Programming?

• Description: Competitive programming is a contest culture focused on various themes in computer science, including:
  • Code and algorithm design
  • Software engineering (bug hunting and fixing)
  • Cryptography and security
  • Machine learning and data science
• Format:
  • Challenges posted by academics and industry leaders
  • Open format for submissions
  • Time-bound challenges (from hours to weeks)
  • Varied rules and formats across platforms
• Types of Participation:
  • Team or solo participation options available.

Focus of the Course

• Emphasis on algorithmic puzzles
• Typically requires prior knowledge of algorithms and data structures
• Structure of problems:
  • Problems often framed as stories
  • Solutions to be coded and tested on platform servers
  • Feedback provided through test cases.

Benefits of Participating in Competitive Programming

• Enjoyment of solving puzzles
• Competitive aspect provides motivation
• Active global contest calendar (contests almost every week)
• Useful for job placement, especially in tech companies
• Improves problem-solving skills and coding skills
• Opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.

Target Audience for the Course

• Designed for those who have completed a basic course in data structures and algorithms
• Recommended programming languages: C++, Python, Java (or any language supported by competitive platforms)
• Expected prior knowledge:
  • Comfort with arrays, lists, trees, etc.
  • Familiarity with algorithms and paradigms (greedy, divide and conquer, dynamic programming).

Course Logistics

• Duration: 12 weeks
• Format:
  • Weekly videos and assignments
  • Informal contests on competitive programming platforms (not graded but encouraged for practice)
• Open for inquiries and feedback from students
• Instructor's contact: email provided in the lecture.

Conclusion

• Encouragement to join the course
• Invitation to share favorite programming puzzles.