---
id: syllabus
title: Syllabus
author: Benjamin Qi
---

<module-excerpt>

(outdated)

Below, we've compiled some of the main topics for each division.

</module-excerpt>

This USACO guide will try to cover all of these topics. Note that USACO contest problems are not limited to just these topics, though _most_ of them should fall into one of the catgories listed below.

# Other Resources

 - [USACO -> CPH Topics](https://github.com/bqi343/USACO/blob/master/Contests/USACO%20Links/USACO%20Topics.md)
 - [Riya's website](https://www.vplanetcoding.com/courses)
 - [IOI Syllabus](https://people.ksp.sk/~misof/ioi-syllabus/ioi-syllabus.pdf)
 - [Darren's book](https://www.overleaf.com/project/5e73f65cde1d010001224d8a)
 - [Division-Specific Categorization](https://github.com/bqi343/USACO/blob/master/Contests/USACO%20Links/Division-Specific/Silver.md)
 - [Silver Categorization](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ba2jr2PFrtxHuGfvdjYVKX-8VzkQAdhpiMLlpXxiAOM/edit)

# Intro

 - [Introduction to Competitive Programming](https://thecodingwizard.github.io/usaco-training-2.0/Intro)
   - Contest Format
   - Choosing a Language
   - Practicing and Debugging
   - Contest Strategies
 - [Prerequisites](https://thecodingwizard.github.io/usaco-training-2.0/Intro_Prerequisites)
 - [Introductory Problems](https://thecodingwizard.github.io/usaco-training-2.0/Intro_Problems)
 - Standard Containers Intro

# Bronze

 - Simulation (just do what statement tells you to do)
   - ex. [The Lost Cow](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=735)
 - Complete Search
   - ex. [Tracing](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=1037)
 - Rectangle Geometry
   - ex. [Billboard](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=759)
 - "Observation"
   - basically everything else (requires more thought)
   - ex. [Mad Scientist](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=1012)

# Silver

 - Greedy
   - ex. [Lemonade Stand](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=835)
 - Standard Containers
   - ex. [Convention II](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=859)
 - Sorting
   - ex. [Counting Haybales](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=666)
 - Binary Search (BinSearch)
   - ex. [Convention](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=858)
 - Two Pointers (2P)
   - ex. [Diamond Collector](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=643)
 - Prefix Sums (Psum)
   - ex. [Breed Counting](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=572)
 - DFS
   - ex. [Switching on the Lights](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=570)
   - Occasionally, graph problems appear in bronze ...

# Gold

 - Dynamic Programming (DP)
   - ex. [Time is Mooney](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=993)
 - Breadth First Search (BFS)
   - ex. [Cow Navigation](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=695)
 - Shortest Path (SP)
   - ex. [Milk Pumping](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=969)
 - Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) & Disjoint Set Union (DSU)
   - ex. [Fencedin](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=623)
 - Topological Sort (TopoSort)
   - ex. [Timeline](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=1017)
 - [Range Sum Queries with Point Updates](https://thecodingwizard.github.io/usaco-training-2.0/Gold_1DRQ)
   - ex. [Haircut](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=1041)
 - Number Theory
   - ex. [Cow Poetry](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=897)
 - Hashing (NOT COMMON)
   - ex. [Cownomics](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=741)
 - Combinatorics (NOT COMMON)
   - Principle of Inclusion and Exclusion (PIE)
   - ex. [Cowpatibility](http://usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=862)
 - Sliding Window (NOT COMMON)
   - ex. [Haybale Feast](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=767)

# Platinum

Just a sampling of the many possible topics.

 - Trees
   - Lowest Common Ancestor (LCA)
     - mostly platinum but may appear in gold as well
     - ex. [cowland](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=921)
   - Heavy-Light Decomposition (HLD)
   - Tree Diameter
 - Range Queries
   - Segment Tree
     - possibly useful for gold
   - Static Array Queries
   - 2D
 - Bitset
   - ex. [Lots of Triangles](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=672)
 - Slope Trick
   - ex. [Landscaping](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=650)
 - Fracturing Search
   - ex. [Robotic Cow Herd](http://www.usaco.org/index.php?page=viewproblem2&cpid=674)
 - Geometry
   - Convex Hull
   - ignoring Cow Steeplechase II (Silver) ...