(Source: Icpc.baylor.edu)
The International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) is the premiere global programming competition conducted by and for the world’s universities. The ICPC is affiliated with the ICPC Foundation and is headquartered at Baylor University. The ICPC is the world’s premiere university sports programming competition, tracing its roots to 1970 with the first Finals in 1976. For over four decades, the ICPC has grown to be a gamechanging global competitive educational program that has raised aspirations and performance of generations of the world’s problem solvers in the computing sciences and engineering. The ICPC competition operates globally in accordance with the ICPC Policies and Procedures.
In ICPC competitions, teams of three students represent their university in multiple levels of regional competition. The contest has consistently showcased the best university students of computing. Preparing for and competing in the ICPC gives students a chance to improve their skills as well as an opportunity to show themselves to the world-wide IT community.
Volunteer coaches prepare their teams with intense training and instruction in algorithms, programming, and teamwork strategy. Several ICPC universities and ICPC volunteers provide online judging systems to all free of charge. Top teams from regional competition advance to the final round.
Every contest has its rules. Each team of three students is provided with one computer and given 5 hours to solve 10 or more fairly difficult problems.
To solve a problem means to write a program that will successfully pass all tests prepared by a panel of judges. The team which solves the biggest number of problems wins. If there are several teams which solve the same number of problems, the winner is determined by comparing time penalties.
Today computer programming has no bounds. It has become a real intellectual sport watched by leading IT-corporations and all those who are interested in developing computer technologies.
Next year’s regional competitions will advance teams to the World Championship round – the 2019 ICPC World Finals hosted by University of Porto – which will be conducted on 4 April, 2019 in Porto, Portugal.
