I am the coordinator of Codeforces Round #965 (Div 2).
Let me explain the situation behind the hard Problem C.
Initially, we planned to have the following C1 and C2 in this round.
However, two days ago, a tester shared a LeetCode blog link that contained the solution to C1, though it didn't help much with C2.
As a result, we had to remove C1 from the contest.
At that point, we had two options:
- Introduce a completely new problem as C.
- Use the previous C2 as C.
Since finding a new Problem C proved challenging (trust me, it's very hard to come up with good, easy problems, especially when you're aiming for a specific difficulty), we decided to use C2.
Recognizing that C2 seemed harder than the usual Div 2 Cs, we took the following steps to make it easier:
- Simplified the problem: The previous C2 required contestants to observe that there always exists an optimal distribution of elements such that there is only one element in $$$S_2$$$. We modified the problem to eliminate the need for this reduction.
- Enhanced samples: Testers noted that the problem was still more challenging than typical Div 2 Cs. Based on their feedback, it seemed to be rated around 1600-1700. One of the main reasons many testers received WA was due to incorrect implementation of binary search. To address this, I decided to include strong samples so that such bugs could be caught during sample testing.
It seems it did not help much. I am sorry for that.
So I checked the expected rating of C in Errichto's Discord server, and it shows the expected rating to be 1752
.
I don't think it is too bad for problem C. Well, recent Div 2 Cs have been quite easy, so you might argue that it was very hard for C and all that. I do agree that the gap between problems B and C was huge, and I should have done something about it. But it was quite hard to add a problem of suitable difficulty this close to the round.
Also, I prefer having an interesting, slightly unbalanced contest over a boring, balanced contest. Although it is still possible to have an interesting, balanced contest, and I will try to ensure that my future rounds, which I coordinate or author, reflect this.
Also instead of downvoting the announcement of editorial, you can downvote this blog. It is not like that upvotes matter that much, but I don't want the blog by cry to get downvoted for my decisions.
Lastly, get good and learn binary search properly.