Introduction to Programming Challenges

Chapter goal

This chapter will discuss two simple programming challenges and walk you through a step-by-step process of solving them. We will encounter several common pitfalls and show you how to fix them.

Below is a brief overview of what it takes to solve a programming challenge in four steps:

1. Reading the problem statement: The problem statement specifies the input-output format and the constraints for the input data, as well as time and memory limits. The goal is to implement a fast program that solves the problem and works within the time and memory limits.

2. Designing an algorithm: When the problem statement is clear, start designing an algorithm, and don’t forget to prove that it works correctly. ...