Competitive programming is a mind sport where participants try to write computer programs that solve well-defined problems within a time limit and according to provided specifications. The contests are usually held over the internet or a local network, and contestants are referred to as sport programmers. The aim of competitive programming is to write source code of computer programs that are able to solve given problems. A vast majority of problems appearing in programming contests are mathematical or logical in nature, and typical tasks belong to one of the following categories: combinatorics, number theory, graph theory, algorithmic game theory, computational geometry, string analysis, and data structures.
Competitive programming is recognized and supported by several multinational software and internet companies, such as Google and Facebook. Many companies also use these programming problems as a way to assess job applicants, so having a strong background in competitive programming can increase your chances of getting hired.
If you want to prepare for competitive programming, you need to be proficient in any programming language syntax (highly recommended C/C++/Java), time and space complexity algorithm analysis, and the ability to think about a brute force solution. You also need to understand the input, output, and test cases on these platforms. There is a process to learn competitive programming, and you have to practice regularly to improve your skills.
In summary, competitive programming is a sport that involves writing computer programs to solve well-defined problems within a time limit. It is recognized and supported by several multinational software and internet companies, and it can help develop skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and efficient coding.
