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ecnerwala's blog

I'm ecnerwala. Ask Me Anything!
By ecnerwala, history, 4 years ago, In English

Hi everyone!

code_warrior recently asked "How is ecnerwala?" I'm here to answer that question and others you may have! I'll check this regularly for the next couple of days and try to respond when I get a chance. Ask me anything!

To code_warrior: I'm doing good. Quarantine is still ongoing, so I'm spending most of my time at home with my family, coding both for work and for fun. How about you?

EDIT: There have been a lot of repeat questions, and I've tried to answer each question at least once. I've given a bunch of general advice about practicing and training, and I don't think I can say too much about how you specifically should practice, so I might not answer all of those questions. In general, practice things that you see in contest that are medium or hard but not impossible for you.

UPDATE: Thank you guys for all your questions! I think I'm done answering questions for now, hope to compete with you guys more!

UPDATE 2: I finally followed through and posted a bunch of screencasts to my YouTube channel, check them out if you're interested! I'll look into a way to post the code/key-captures, and I hope to publish some with commentary soon!

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Comments Comments (442)
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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +60 Vote: I do not like it

How tall is ecnerwala?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +210 Vote: I do not like it

    I swear I'm pretty much 6ft (1.83m).

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it -232 Vote: I do not like it

      Everybody asks How is ecnerwala ?

      Nobody asks How is alawerence ...

      S E D
      L Y F

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it -30 Vote: I do not like it

        how to become lgm in 3 months?

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          4 years ago, # ^ |
            Vote: I like it +14 Vote: I do not like it

          If someone could have achieved it in 3 months then it would not have been called "Legendary". P.S I am none to tell you(I am a fkin newbie) this but I think these people must be very passionate about CC.

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

        Because he doesn't mess up the spelling of his own handle

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -678 Vote: I do not like it

Do you know who is "BINOD"?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +43 Vote: I do not like it

What is your favourite editor??

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -13 Vote: I do not like it

Hey, the question hasn't been answered yet, so I'm asking it again.

How are you, Andrew?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +52 Vote: I do not like it

    I'm doing good, how about you?

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it -67 Vote: I do not like it

      Hello Sir, it's nice to be able to chat with you. Regarding the Code Jam Finals, I would like to know that don't u feel sad after losing to Tourist? Especially after working so hard for so many years? I ask this because I get disheartened too easily by failures. I also face a dilemma like how much time I should spend behind thinking about a problem..

      Next Question is, what should be my strategy to prepare as a team for ICPC?

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
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        I would like to know from the community as to why this simple post has been downvoted so many times.Neither have I tried to insult anyone,nor am i asking anything irrelevant.Then why unncessarily are you downvoting me?

        I would really like to know the reason so that in future I keep certain things in kind before commenting here at Codeforces

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          4 years ago, # ^ |
          ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +18 Vote: I do not like it

          Your first question is a rather sensitive, and a bit personal question.

          Well your second question can be answered with some searches on the internet. It's also a part of the strategy a team uses for the competitions. If you still want to ask such things, create a blog.

          "Ratism" has nothing to do here.

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

        I personally down-voted you for this line `

        See it

        `

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +66 Vote: I do not like it

My ex-wife sent me the bill for the dog tax. I say hey this is your dog. She says, well, it's a breakup dog. What should I do?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +17 Vote: I do not like it

what kind of "work" do you do?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +145 Vote: I do not like it

    I work at a startup called Impira in SF on database-like systems to extract and query information from assets (like scanned documents) using machine learning. I'm mostly working on the low-level data storage layer to store data and make it efficient to query.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +17 Vote: I do not like it

      Why did you choose to work in a startup particularly? Given that you have excellent engineering background and exceptional programming skills .

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +24 Vote: I do not like it

        Startups are usually where the most exciting work happens. They need to master the market in some new vertical and that takes hardcore programming/engineering skills. Though this may vary from startup to startup.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
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      Do you have enough time working in parallel while studying at MIT?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +119 Vote: I do not like it

What's your next big goal?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +134 Vote: I do not like it

    One goal I have is to start streaming or screencasting more competitive programming content. I'll be posting some screencasts (probably AGC047 and CF R663 Div2) to YouTube shortly, and make sure to follow me at https://twitch.tv/ecnerwala to see when I go live!

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +21 Vote: I do not like it

What is your training routine to get better?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +45 Vote: I do not like it

    Recently, I haven't had much of a strict training routine; I mostly do programming problems when I feel like it (which admittedly is pretty often). I do try to upsolve most of the problems from all the contests I do, but even then I skip annoying/"uninteresting" problems.

    In high school, I did a lot of POI (Polish) problems.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +23 Vote: I do not like it

      what did you do when you were stuck in some POI problem and tried enough (as there's no editorial) and what should the others do now ( considering the resources available today if any )?

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

        there are editorials in polish with reference solutions

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          4 years ago, # ^ |
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          By no editorial I meant english editorial actually

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +7 Vote: I do not like it

What does "ecnerwala" mean? And how do you pronounce it?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    Well I can answer this : D it's the reverse of his last name

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +22 Vote: I do not like it

    It's the reverse of my middle name (my full name is Andrew Lawrence He). I pronounce it like "eck" (hard-k) — "nerwhal" (rhymes with narwhal) — "ah".

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +11 Vote: I do not like it

      Omg, I just realized that I was reading your handle as "echerwala" all this time.

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

        Omg, I just realized that I was reading his handle as "encerwala" all this time.

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          4 years ago, # ^ |
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          anybody who read it like e-c-ner-wala ?

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +15 Vote: I do not like it

      /ɪkˈnɝːwələ/

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +14 Vote: I do not like it

How do you solve https://mirror.codeforces.com/contest/1375/problem/F?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +25 Vote: I do not like it

    I wish I knew.

    def p(x):print(x,flush=True);a[int(input())-1]+=x
a=[*map(int,input().split())];print('First');p(10**9);p(max(a)*3-sum(a));p(max(a)-min(a)>>1)
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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -25 Vote: I do not like it
Time for some cliche questions
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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +63 Vote: I do not like it

    I think most of improving is practicing implementing and building familiarity with concepts. It's hard to say what difficulty level problem. I think to practice implementing, try to implement something that complicated enough that you'll make bugs, and then try to build muscle memory or other techniques to avoid those bugs. To learn concepts, probably try to solve problems that take you between 20 minutes and a few hours to solve.

    Also, reaching purple may not be the right goal; you'll probably want to set a short-term goals that are more incremental.

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 4   Vote: I like it -43 Vote: I do not like it

you are a legendary coder ....i think you get many offer from Google/Facebook or many big tech company's share some interesting idea about that ....

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +9 Vote: I do not like it

    I don't have too much to say about that; there are a lot of resources online if you want to learn about these things. I will say that competitive programming problems are pretty similar to the programming problems I've seen in interviews, so it's definitely a helpful bit of experience to have.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

Q1. can ecnerwala defeat tourist in google code jam finals ?

Q2. is ecnerwala belongs to china or any background history with china ?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +100 Vote: I do not like it
    1. Still unknown. I can beat him in Distributed CodeJam Finals though!
    2. My parents grew up in China, but I was born and raised in the US.
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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -9 Vote: I do not like it

where do you live Legendary Grandmaster?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +15 Vote: I do not like it

What do your cp practicing sessions look like? How do you work on problems (stuff like thinking for >30 mins, reading editorial afterwards, then implementing stuff)? Especially your practicing sessions at times when you were mostly active.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +46 Vote: I do not like it

    Yeah that's pretty much right. I'll think for a while, especially if I feel like I'm still making progress. At some point, if I'm stuck or I no longer want to work on the problem (or at the end of the contest), I'll read the editorial or discuss the problem. I think it's important to go back and make sure you actually understand the structures of the solution and how they do and don't generalize. (How things don't generalize is a great way to understand what underlying structure is being relied upon.)

    Then I usually try to implement it unless it's particularly uninteresting and annoying.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +6 Vote: I do not like it

Which things you like and dislike most in your professional life?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    I really like being able to learn things from coworkers with experience in different areas than me. One thing that's a lot harder than competitive programming is that the codebases are larger and have to support a lot more collaboration, via things like good design patterns and good testing.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -21 Vote: I do not like it

huge number of easy questions or few number of hard questions? Which is better for practice? And do you think solving math problems and normal puzzles help in any way?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    Probably a mix of many medium questions and some hard questions. I started off doing math olympiads, and I think they helped both understanding concepts and improving problem solving.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +11 Vote: I do not like it

how old are you, from when you started coding?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +37 Vote: I do not like it

Do you eat pineapple on pizza?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

How to be a legend like you?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -34 Vote: I do not like it

I love you....Do you love me?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +70 Vote: I do not like it

Favorite moment in a programming contest?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +93 Vote: I do not like it

    My favorite moment was probably solving towns at IOI 2015 in the last 15 minutes of the contest. That problem is so nice, and clutching it out felt so great.

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4 years ago, # |
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What is your favorite programming competition?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +52 Vote: I do not like it

Apart from Competitive Programming , what are your areas of interest(hobbies)?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +12 Vote: I do not like it

    Recently, I've just been playing some video games like Celeste and doing some puzzle hunts.

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4 years ago, # |
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Likelihood of me featuring in a Lockout dual vs tourist?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +2 Vote: I do not like it

Do you have girlfriend if not any ex ?

And whats your age btw ?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +68 Vote: I do not like it

Do you find software engineering to be interesting in general? Asking because the thinking involved is very different from algorithmic thinking.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    For sure. I actually really like the parts of competitive programming that are more like software engineering, like designing good interfaces and abstractions. I think that's one of the things that makes me pretty good at technical problems.

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

hi

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +28 Vote: I do not like it

How do you prepare your team for ACM ICPC?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    For ICPC 2019, we did several contest each week and spent a good amoout of our own time upsolving problems too.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +7 Vote: I do not like it

According to you what is your biggest achievement so far?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +4 Vote: I do not like it

    It's probably winning Distributed Codejam, or 2nd place at ICPC.

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4 years ago, # |
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Any lockout planned for the near future? Have you watched Errichto's recent lockout? If you hold a lockout in the near future could you incorprate the problem explaining like Errichto did in his lockout?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    I'll probably try to do some lockout soon, but no guarantees for now. I haven't actually watched Errichto's stream, but that does sound like a good idea; I'll check it out when I get some free time.

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4 years ago, # |
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You seem to be extremely proficient in C++. How long have you been using C++ and what are you favorite programming languages ?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    I've been using C++ since 2013. My favorite programming languages are probably C/C++, Go, Python, and maybe Rust (I haven't actually used Rust much though). I think Typescript is pretty cool, but I haven't used it much (also npm scares me).

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +35 Vote: I do not like it

Do u have girlfriend?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +2 Vote: I do not like it

Can anyone become an LGM?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it -8 Vote: I do not like it

    This is a very good question... Why are there so many down votes?

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
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      There are 30 slots, and 30000 ppl trying. I think most ppl know the answer.

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +31 Vote: I do not like it

        I think ratatouille said it best: "Not everyone can become a great artist... but a great artist can come from anywhere." -Anton Ego

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          4 years ago, # ^ |
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          Not everyone can become a great artist...

          Doesn't that quote prove my point? The second part is true but doesn't detract from the first statement.

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            4 years ago, # ^ |
              Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

            Ya, I was agreeing with you.

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Q1. What is your thought process when you are not able to do good in contest?

Q2. What is the best way to learn new topic and practice and from where?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +6 Vote: I do not like it

    1. I think you just have to keep pushing to do better; it's good to reflect a little on what changes you could make to do better in the future and then just move on to the next contest.

    2. Depends on the topic, probably just read about it and make sure to practice on problems.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +107 Vote: I do not like it

Do you like monkeys?

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4 years ago, # |
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Did you practice on some other site before starting off with codeforces? Also if you don't know a particular concept where do you read stuff about it ?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    I started off mostly with Codeforces and USACO training (both the training pages and past USACO problems).

    To read about concepts, it depends on the concept; sometimes there are good resources on blogs like CF, other times you just have to read papers (which sucks). Asking peers for help is also good.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

How to I tackle the frustration in competitive programming .Thanks in advance.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +75 Vote: I do not like it

milk first or cereal first?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

which university in {USA / California} is best for {computer science/computer engineering} ?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +48 Vote: I do not like it

Did you have the opportunity to stay in academia, and if so what made you want to go into industry?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

    I really like building things, and there's a lot more opportunity to do that in industry.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

How soon after reading the problem would you recommend seeing the editorial ?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

    Probably after you've stopped making progress, and at least 10-20 mins.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +55 Vote: I do not like it

It was at this moment he knew, HE FUCKED UP!

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4 years ago, # |
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What did you study in Uni? Did you do any research?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +32 Vote: I do not like it

    I studied CS at MIT, I did a little research but not much.

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

have you ever thought of giving up cp or took a long break?out of frustration or maybe your contest performance was disappointing to you at some point or for any other reason.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    I've taken a couple breaks (see ~2017), mostly because I lost interest or had other things to do.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +19 Vote: I do not like it

Who killed Kennedy?

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +44 Vote: I do not like it

Few of my questions:

  1. Do you workout?
  2. Do you watch animes?
  3. Tea or coffee?
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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +18 Vote: I do not like it
    1. I don't really workout, though I keep saying I should :(
    2. Not really, I've watched parts of a couple but I wouldn't call myself a big anime person.
    3. Tea, but I can't really take the caffeine from either.
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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -8 Vote: I do not like it

Would you tell us your programming experience from beginner to advanced and how to improve ourself

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4 years ago, # |
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What one thing you would like to achieve regarding competitive programming?

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4 years ago, # |
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How do you manage time for both job and CP?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    I have enough time for both; I don't spend all that much time on CP.

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4 years ago, # |
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What is your industrial skill . I mean , what you are, a Teacher ,a webdev ,software engineer, ML/AI engineer, etc. ??

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4 years ago, # |
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Where you see yourself after 5 years from now ?

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4 years ago, # |
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What are you doing for entertainment (without coding ) like tv/movie/song ??

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    I've started watching some more TV, mostly police procedurals like Person of Interest, White Collar, etc.

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4 years ago, # |
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Why should we hire you for this job?

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4 years ago, # |
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Do u love pizza??

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4 years ago, # |
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Do u also struggled initially to solve Div2d,div2E??

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it -29 Vote: I do not like it

    LGMs dont struggle with div2 Ds

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
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      read my question carefully,i have written "initially".

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
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        They dont struggle (ever).Its trivial for them from the beginning

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
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    Yeah for sure, I mean there was a time when I didn't know BFS.

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4 years ago, # |
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Do you play any video games?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +6 Vote: I do not like it

    Some, I've been playing Celeste, some Super Smash Bros. Melee, and I've recently tried playing Dead Cells.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -8 Vote: I do not like it

How to Solve This https://cses.fi/problemset/task/1729

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

    Let's Say we currently have $$$i$$$ stones, then $$$\forall\; p_k \in P$$$, if $$$i-p$$$ was a losing state, then $$$i$$$ is a winning state.

    For Example if $$$i = 0$$$ then, $$$p$$$ is a winning state since $$$0$$$ is a losing state. Hence the following recurrence holds,

    Spoiler

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

What competitive programming site do you love the most? Is it codeforces or something else?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +14 Vote: I do not like it

With whom do you enjoy solving in a team more scott_wu or ksun48 if you were to choose only one ?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

What does it take to get 5.0 GPA in BS Math and computer science at MIT ( because you scored 5.0 )

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

I feel like, I'm stuck in cp in one point, can you suggest me, how can i reach cf 1900+? or what should i follow?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -18 Vote: I do not like it

ecnerwala i used to use vectors but because of some serious tle problems i stopped. And it’s really hard to use arrays instead of them. How do you use vectors and handle tle cases?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it -8 Vote: I do not like it

    It happens rarely that you go into TLE issues with vector. Maybe you don't know how to use them properly.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      Actually it was rarely but in really serious cases. Once in code jam problem and once in a usaco problem. I was afraid of it happening in the contests so I stopped it. Also It has happened in one of tourist streams which made him the runner up instead of the winner...

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +9 Vote: I do not like it

    Don't use .push_back()if you know the size of the array or at least .reserve() some memory at first. Other differences are minor.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    Yeah, vectors shouldn't have much problems unless you allocate/deallocate them frequently. I try to always reserve(sz) to avoid log(n) resizes, and also try to preallocate large vectors outside loops.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

My girlfriend left me. I called her. After an hour of argument, she agreed to come back only if I become an expert in a month. I am confused and sad. Bitch took my earphones too.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
    ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +117 Vote: I do not like it

    Can you please share her details in dm if she doesnt mind? I know someone who can become expert in a month if mike increases frequency of div1s.

    Don't forget to take person's explicit consent before sharing his/her details.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +57 Vote: I do not like it

      Do you mean fall to expert from purple+?

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +15 Vote: I do not like it

      Hum Indians jitna bhi tarraki karle, dil se hamesha harami rahenge XD

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -55 Vote: I do not like it

Why is ecnerwala?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

what the hell?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +19 Vote: I do not like it

Is coronavirus a hoax made up by flat earthers?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What are frogs?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +24 Vote: I do not like it

How hard did you work to maintain your perfect 5.0 GPA? Also, considering you didn't pursue academia, why did you go through so much effort to maintain a perfect GPA?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +12 Vote: I do not like it

    I didn't maintain a perfect GPA. I did well in classes because I chose classes that were interesting and I wanted to learn from.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

      Wow, amazing! I envy such passion!

      I can't help but think of classes as a chore :(

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What brought CP to you?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

How transferrable is CP to real programming? Do you use a lot of skills that you learned in CP during work?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

    Yeah I think there's a decent amount transferred, particularly about writing clean/testable/bugfree code.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

When you were at the beginning stage of learning CP, how did you spend time for different topics (DP, graph, math...) and what were your ways to maximize the productivity in the decided time spent?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    I didn't really split my time by topic too much after learning the basics in each.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +170 Vote: I do not like it

What happened between 2016 and 2018?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +56 Vote: I do not like it

    Life

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +315 Vote: I do not like it

    2017, duh

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +14 Vote: I do not like it

    Yeah, I took a bit of a hiatus to do other things; CF rounds conflicted with classes, and there were other things I wanted to do.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

your favourite sport other than competitive programming

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    I played a bit of Ultimate in college. I don't watch sports much, but if I had to choose, it would be basketball or hockey.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Your are a legendary grand-master. You spent a lot of time in cp. Do you think that you sould have been spent slightly less time in cp and do "something else" ? If so what is that "something else"?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    I do CP mostly as a hobby now, so I don't really regret spending too much time on it. If there are other things I want to do, I do those other things as well.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

are you a coffee person? or tea?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

Did you/do you do competitive math too? I vaguely recall seeing you in some of Evan Chen's streams.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

do you have an Android or IOS smartphone ? which OS do you have in your computer ?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +19 Vote: I do not like it

    I have an Android phone (LG G7) and I run linux.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What do you do when you get bore with problem-solving? How do you refresh your mind!

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

  • What was your usual routine at MIT?

  • How did you manage your time between competitive programming and college work?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

    My usual routine at MIT was pretty standard; go to classes, do homework, socialize, etc.

    I didn't really split my time between cp and college; see the break I took in 2017.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What is the point of doing cp professionally?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +32 Vote: I do not like it

    I don't do it professionally, it's mostly a hobby for me.

    I think if people do go pro, it would mostly just like any other esport.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Wish me good luck for my first appearance of Div 1 contest.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

How did you start competitive programming? Do you have any tips for beginners?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

You're just 22. Are you the youngest Legendary Grandmaster?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it
  1. What does ecnerwala mean?
  2. How many girlfrineds?
  3. Other hobbies except CP?
  4. If ecnerwala didn't choose to be a competitive programmer, what would he have done?
  5. Atcoder vs Codeforces?
  6. How to improve? I am practicing but my rating decreases.
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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

how did you think of the idea of putting your name in reverse? it looks so cool!

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What is your favorite show?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

    I really like the first few seasons of White Collar.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

It seems like you really love lambda expressions, any particular reason why?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +21 Vote: I do not like it

    I just hate globals. Also, you can define lambdas near where you use them so that the control flow is still obvious.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      Is the Y combinator+lambda as efficient as an explicit recursive function?

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

        I think it's essentially just as good, though I haven't done any benchmarking. The assembly does get inlined the way you want.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

From Where do you learn new algorithms?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Other people mostly, sometimes papers or blog posts.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What do you usually do when you are free ? Or you are always busy ? :D

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Challenge: Solve your next contest problems in python only

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Naw, I don't want to deal with fast-Python-io and stuff.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +29 Vote: I do not like it

Why you don't have an avatar on Codeforces?

Also: if you could only solve problems from one of these platforms: Codeforces, Atcoder, or Topcoder, then which one would you choose and why?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +7 Vote: I do not like it

    Too lazy to set one, I guess I'm not photogenic enough.

    I'd probably choose CF, mostly for volume.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

      Do you have a mirror then?

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        4 years ago, # ^ |
          Vote: I like it +38 Vote: I do not like it

        ecnerwala proceeding to set a mirror as his avatar

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Are you ecnerwala?

...it's ask me anything after all.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +15 Vote: I do not like it

Is ecnerwala interested in starting a startup?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +6 Vote: I do not like it

Are birds real?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Can you be my mentor for competitive programming?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

How to be able to think CP questions in free time(like pooping or bathing). I don't have enough time for practicing. This semester's like hell. Not even a single hour to study. Sme tips on how to manage time for CP?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    It definitely sucks to be super busy, there's not really any CP-specific time-management tricks I have. You just have to prioritize and make sure you're efficient with your time.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

How do you feel having to get up in the morning at 730 and giving a contest? Does it get you all set for the day?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    7:30 is pretty early, so it kinda sucks (could be worse though: AtCoder is at 5am). I don't know if it really sets me up for the rest of the day; it's a lot of mental energy to compete.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +6 Vote: I do not like it

Have you thought of becoming one of the best when you were just starting?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Do you think knowing algorithmic theory is important for CP, i.e proof of correctness of some of the famous algorithms...etc. Also, where did you learn C++, you look really skilled with the language.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Do you have any advice on getting good at competitive programming quickly?

Also do you have any advice on what I should if I cannot solve a problem other than reading the editorial? (because just reading the solution feels kind of useless ad you don't really seem to be learning anything that you can apply on other problems)

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

How 2 nutella?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What problem paradigm (e.g. graph, dp) are you strongest/weakest in?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +31 Vote: I do not like it

    I'm pretty strong in some mathier areas like counting or NT, as well as generally pretty good at implementation. I think I'm weakest at heuristics/constructions.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +17 Vote: I do not like it

As a Californian, is there any particular reason that you chose MIT over Stanford?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    In general, I think it's good to go somewhere further away for college, otherwise you're really always in the same little bubble. I like the culture at MIT a lot.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

ecnerwala have you ever participated in IMO?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +16 Vote: I do not like it

Are we in a simulation?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

How did you choose to study CS at uni? Did you have any other interests in other subjects? If so, what made you choose CS?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    I had already done a lot of CS in high school, so I knew I was interested for sure. I also was interested in math or physics, but ultimately I liked CS too much.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -20 Vote: I do not like it

I was stuck in Round 664 Div2-C for more than half an hour. People say if you are stuck for more than half an hour, you shouldn't try more and just wait for the editorial. So, I gave up. Later when only 15 mins were left, the idea struck my mind. And I couldn't implement within those 15 mins. But after the contest, I submitted and it was correct. So, how should I decide whether I should give up or not?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +11 Vote: I do not like it

    You should never give up on a problem during a contest; that advice is for upsolving/practice, where you could potentially keep working indefinitely if you so chose.

    On the other hand, it can be good in contest to take a break or think about a different problem, so you can come back with a different mindset/different ideas.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +25 Vote: I do not like it

      It's perfectly fine to switch to the next problem (even without the intention to getting back to the previous one during a contest).

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Did you solve problems from UVa online judge?

There are very good problems and a vast number of hard problems but the problem is there are no editorials(idea, proof, etc.) for the problems. Codes of other participants don't help to properly understand most of the time.

Definitely it's true that many people somehow solved many problems from UVa in spite of this difficulty, I don't know how they did it. If anyone knows how they did it then reply, please.

What do you think ecnerwala, what should we do when we stuck for some problems in UVa?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

    No, I've never solved on UVa.

    Solving problems without editorials is definitely a tricky thing to do. I would recommend talking to peers about the problem, and if you still can't find a solution, it probably is actually slightly too hard for now; just set it aside and come back in a few months/years when you know more and then take another stab at it. Having problems open in the back of your mind could lead to you discovering something!

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -24 Vote: I do not like it

Trump or Biden?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +11 Vote: I do not like it

Your favorite video game?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

    Maybe Bastion, Exapunks, or The Binding of Isaac.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +16 Vote: I do not like it

Hi, Do you believe in God?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Hey have you ever got mentally exhausted with a problem in a contest? like "I don't want to think anymore" kinda stuff

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

    Yeah, but in contest, you usually just have to push through.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +16 Vote: I do not like it

How much do you bench?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I have knowledge on DS, algos but have very less experience in c++ or any other language coding.

I find codeforces problem tough even after seeing codeforce solutions for each contest. what should i do? ecnerwala?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    Code a lot of problems! See my advice on difficulty above.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Do you like Timus OJ? Are there any particular sites (apart from the discussions, which are often unreliable) where one can get editorials/solutions for Timus problems?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

What is the cp achievement you are most proud of?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

when you do competitive programming as a by product do you fall in the eyes of big companies and if yes how do they attempt to approach you ? Do you just have to top the coding competitions or doing fairly good is enough ? ?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

    I don't think I've received too much attention from just coding competitions; it's usually been just CodeJam/HackerCup finals and other big onsites. On the other hand, I'm in a pretty privileged position to be able to reach out more directly to a lot of companies via MIT/SFBA, so coding competitions could potentially be helpful.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

On a scale of 1-10 how much would you rate your understanding of C++ as a language?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

    7 or 8; I know a lot, but C++ is a crazy language with super crazy rules.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +30 Vote: I do not like it

Чей крым?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +14 Vote: I do not like it

Any ideas on whom I’d need to talk to about commentating for NAC next year? Or is the best way to get invited to that just being really really good?

Also, do you have any plans on live-VPing 2020 ICPC WF (with some of the LGM/IGM friends if they are interested) similarly to what tourist/Petr/endagorian usually do?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +15 Vote: I do not like it

    People got invited mostly just from word of mouth. If you or anyone else from NA is interested, lmk.

    We'll have to see about WF, I'd be down, but I haven't talked to any organizers yet.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    NAC

    Nili's Apartment Cup?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Is Machine Learning overhyped?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

    It depends; some people overhype it, but it actually can do some amazing things. We'll just have to see where it goes.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

Have you ever thought as a beginner that one day your cp journey will inspire thousands and will make you this much popular?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

When you're stuck / discouraged: what fuels you to keep pushing yourself?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

    It's mostly just finding problems I'm interested in, and learning new things is pretty cool.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -9 Vote: I do not like it

Why don't you have updated your profile picture?

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Do you have any plans for your Youtube channel, like uploading screencasts and stuff? Would love to see that.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

What's your opinion of the finance / fintech industry? Why did you decide on pure software instead of some type of mixture?

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    I think there are some challenging problems in that industry, but I like software engineering more.

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4 years ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it