I’ve seen many users who have solved huge number of problems but still have a low rating. I was wondering what could be the reason behind that until I arrived at a conclusion. I may be wrong. I’m very open to criticism. However, this is what I’ve realised and I want to share it with everyone.

What matters is not how many problems we’ve solved but how many problems we’ve absorbed. It’s possible to solve a problem by reading the editorial after trying for just five minutes, but it’s not possible to absorb a problem like that. It’s only after we’ve given our best efforts and tried everything we’ve got before reading the editorial, the solution stays with us. I’ve used the word ‘absorb’ because by doing this the solution will becomes more ingrained into our memory and will stay with us forever. In other words, it’s absorbed into our brain. We understand the underlying concepts, the reasoning behind the solution steps, and the connections between different techniques. This enhances our ability to apply similar concepts in future problems.

I feel one hour is the bare minimum amount of time we should try before jumping to the editorial in order to absorb the solution. The time frame may be different for different people. It’s important to figure out your own time frame.

In the end, I feel it’s more important to absorb as many problems as possible instead of just solving them.