1.8 KiB
| slug | title | author | order |
|---|---|---|---|
| /intro/getting-started | Getting Started | Nathan Wang, Benjamin Qi | 2 |
- Introduction
- Contest Format
- Choosing a Language
Todo:
- Video clip from Brian Dean?
- Explains what USACO is all about & how it works
Introduction
In competitive programming contests, one must solve well-defined problems by writing computer programs under specified constraints (Wikipedia). Typically, the most popular language is C++, followed by Java and Python.
William Lin - What is Competitive Programming?
Contest Format
(todo)
See USACO contests.
Choosing a Language
If you're in Bronze, don't worry about the language! If you already know a language, just use it. You can always switch languages down the road.
In general, we recommend the following:
- For Bronze contestants, any of C++/Java/Python will do.
- If you know multiple languages, we recommend you pick C++ over Java, and Java over Python.
- For Silver, Gold, and Platinum, we recommend C++/Java.
- If you know multiple languages, we recommend you pick C++ over Java.
Note: A majority of high level contestants use C++ and Java. Between those, C++ is more popular.
Keep in mind that it's easy to switch languages down the road! Don't get caught up on which language to choose. Just pick the one you feel most comfortable with!
Language References
All of these are provided at the IOI asside from the additional C++ reference.