Green Verdict: How I Fell for Competitive Programming

date
Dec 17, 2024
slug
competitive-programming
status
Published
tags
Competitive Programming
Algorithms
Coding
summary
type
Post
Competing at IOI 2015
Competing at IOI 2015
From the outside looking in, competitive programming might seem like a niche world of code golf and obscure algorithmic problems, but the reality is quite the opposite. It is an enriching domain, filled with intellectual adventure and a sense of community that fuels both learning and enjoyment. Diving into the competitive programming scene opened doors I never knew existed and shaped me into the problem solver I am today.

Early Beginnings: From Math Riddles to Programming Contests

As a young student, before I even knew how to write a single line of code, I was drawn to math riddles and competitions. There is something almost magical about turning a puzzle around in your mind until you discover a clever insight. I participated in Israeli Math Olympiad training camps, diving deep into challenging puzzles and sharpening my logical thinking daily. The friends and mentors I met there are the sharpest minds I have ever encountered, and it was there that the seeds of competitive problem solving were planted.

Stepping into the World of Programming

When I first encountered programming, I quickly realized that the techniques, insights, and patterns I had developed from math competitions were directly applicable. I attended the Israeli competitive programming camps that select the team to represent Israel in the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). At first, it was tough to connect my mathematical intuition with code, but that "aha" moment arrived during one of my first training sessions when I was 15 years old. When I submitted a solution online and saw that bright green "100/100 score" on my screen, it was absolute confirmation that my reasoning was sound. Unlike math tests, I did not have to wait hours or days for a result. My mathematical reasoning turned into a coded solution, and the system instantly recognized that it was correct. That sense of immediate reward was intoxicating.
My submission got accepted on the online judge
My submission got accepted on the online judge

Growing Skills and Achievements

As I got deeper into competitive programming, I started participating in every online competition I could find, sometimes waking up at 3 AM for competitions in different time zones. I always pushed myself to try something new, to face new problems, and to improve my coding skills. Over time, I became hooked on the exhilaration of these contests.
Through dedicated practice and countless hours of problem-solving, I gradually built up my understanding of algorithms and data structures. This foundation proved valuable when I later took university courses in these subjects. The skills I developed during competitions also helped shape my academic interests, leading to my master's thesis in optimization and complexity (read the paper here). Interestingly, I met my master's thesis advisor through Codeforces (profile) when I was looking to register the University of Haifa team. He became not only our first official coach but also my academic mentor, showing how the competitive programming community can open unexpected doors.
At age 17, I had the honor of representing Israel in the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), where I earned Bronze medals in 2015 and 2016 (IOI statistics). Later, with my teammates from the University of Haifa, we achieved a Silver medal in the 2016 regional ICPC competition. More details about these experiences can be found on my LinkedIn and the Islands site.
The Israeli team at IOI 2016
The Israeli team at IOI 2016

Community and Mentorship

The competitive programming community is truly exceptional. The veterans of math and informatics Olympiads are the smartest people I know, and their reasoning abilities are second to none. Through engaging with them and learning their approaches, I refined my thinking and became more efficient at designing solutions.
My involvement did not stop at competing. I founded the University of Haifa ICPC group and have been the official coach for the last nine years. I did this because I wanted to keep that competitive spirit alive, to stay engaged, and to help others discover the same joys and growth I experienced. It's incredibly rewarding to see how students who attend my competitive programming trainings become the best in their classes and secure positions in the most elite military units, just as I did. They often tell me how the problem-solving skills and analytical thinking developed during our training sessions were instrumental in their success.
With my team at an ICPC competition
With my team at an ICPC competition

Beyond the Competitions

The problem-solving mindset and analytical thinking skills I developed prepared me for challenges in life and work, and these abilities proved invaluable when facing tough selection processes and various obstacles ahead. The ability to tackle complex situations, break them down, and find optimal solutions is universal, and it all started with these programming contests. Another technical skill I gained was writing bug-free code - in competitive programming, with strict time constraints, there's little room for debugging, so you learn to code carefully and precisely from the start.
What I particularly enjoyed about competitive programming was how it became intertwined with travel and exploration. Each competition and bootcamp offered an opportunity to visit new places, combining my passion for problem-solving with the excitement of discovery. These trips, fully sponsored for competing teams, became my favorite way of traveling. The experience of forming the university team taught me valuable lessons beyond programming - securing funding for travel, convincing talented students to join, and organizing participation in competitions developed my proactive approach to challenges. These organizational and leadership skills now serve me well in the business world.

Reflections

What began as a natural enjoyment of solving problems, combined with the immediate feedback loop of competitive programming platforms, evolved into a passionate journey that continues to this day. The thrill of finally cracking a difficult problem after hours of concentrated effort, the satisfaction of discovering elegant solutions, and the privilege of learning from brilliant minds along the way - these experiences have shaped not just how I approach technical challenges, but how I think about problem-solving in general.

Getting Started with Competitive Programming

If you're interested in exploring this world, here are some excellent resources to begin your journey:
  1. Codeforces - A leading platform with regular contests and a vast problem archive
  1. Israeli Olympiad in Informatics - The official platform for the Israeli programming olympiad
  1. Meta Hacker Cup - An annual algorithmic programming competition by Meta