Hello Folks,

I hope this message finds you well. I am currently participating in several programming contests and, in the process, have noticed that I often find myself facing challenges that seem rooted in mathematical concepts. Given that I have been professionally employed for two years now, I regret to admit that my engagement with mathematical exercises has been somewhat limited during this period. Nevertheless, I remain passionate about Competitive Programming (CP) and aspire to enhance my performance in upcoming contests. In light of this, I wanted to seek your perspectives on the importance of mathematics in this field.

During my high school years, I had a strong foundational knowledge of mathematics, having achieved an 'A' grade in my final examination. I had also pursued and excelled in Further Mathematics independently. While revisiting my Further Mathematics textbook (high school subject but actually content are somewhat similar to maths when I was in college (I did Electrical Engineering)) recently, I contemplated whether revisiting the topics from this advanced syllabus might be beneficial for my current endeavors.

For your reference, here is the syllabus from our Further Mathematics — Pure Mathematics Paper 1:

1. Roots of Polynomial Equations
2. Rational Functions and Graphs
3. Summation of Series
4. Matrices
5. Polar Coordinates
6. Vectors
7. Proof by Induction

Second part:

1. Hyperbolic Functions
2. Advanced Matrices
3. Differentiation
4. Integration
5. Complex Numbers
6. Differential Equations
7. Continued Differential Equations

In the context of CP, I am keen to understand which of these topics, or possibly others not listed here, you believe would be most beneficial to focus on. Additionally, if you have any specific recommendations on how to most effectively revise and apply these topics, I would greatly appreciate your insights.

Thank you for taking the time to read my message. I look forward to hearing your advice.

Hello Codeforcers,

I find myself facing a challenging situation in my career and I would like to share my story. I graduated from uni about two years ago with a major in Electrical & Electronic Engineering. However, during my time in university, I realized that my true passion lies in algorithms and computing. So, I decided to take a risk and pursue a career as a programmer/software engineer while simultaneously completing my major coursework. I worked hard and managed to secure internships immediately after college. I was fortunate enough to be hired by big tech company X. After working there for a year, I sought new challenges and applied to Amazon, where I was hired as a entry-level(L4) software development engineer.

Initially, everything seemed to be going well and I was grateful for my hard work and self-motivation that led me to where I am today. However, things took a turn for the worse. After a few months at Amazon, I was assigned to a project that proved to be extremely challenging. Even senior members of my team were unsure how to tackle it, and even I nailed it at the very end. But it felt like a politically driven decision by my manager to manage me out of the company. Additionally, I realized that I hadn't fully integrated with the team due to the nature of the project. At times, I feel that my situation is unfair, but I have come to accept it as part of life's challenges.

To regain my passion for coding, I registered an account on Codeforces. I enjoy the platform and the problem-solving it offers. However, I am currently facing some difficulties. I have applied for several jobs, but haven't heard back from any of them. As an international worker on a visa in the UK, finding a job that sponsors me is particularly challenging, especially considering my limited work experience. I can't help but feel inadequate compared to my former Amazon teammates, which makes me question whether I meet the required standards. I would appreciate your suggestions on the matter. Should I pursue a master's degree? Since I have self-taught myself all the software engineering concepts and coding practices, obtaining a master's degree might improve my chances of securing better job offers after graduation. I am confident in my abilities, but the downside is that I would have to wait a whole year to begin my master's studies (which I think I could do more stuff like sharpening my skills on here, learning more stuff, or just career break for one year), as it is already June. Alternatively, I could continue searching for a job, but that presents significant challenges, as only a few companies are willing to sponsor foreign workers like me. I am not ready to return to my home country just yet, and I am feeling lost at the moment.

I would greatly appreciate your advice on this matter. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my story.