Hi, everyone.

I participated in the recent Div2 contest on Codeforces and encountered an issue that I believe is unfair and needs to be addressed.

In the contest, I solved Problem C and submitted my solution. After receiving an Accepted (AC) verdict, I decided to re-submit the same solution, perhaps to double-check for time constraints. To my surprise, I was penalized with a -50 points deduction, and the time for Problem C was reset to the time of my second submission.

If the reason for this policy is to facilitate the hacking phase after the contest, this could be handled more effectively. For instance, the system could reject the first submission and accept the second one, rather than simply accepting the last one and penalizing the participant.

This penalty system feels unfair for the following reasons:

• Penalty on Accepted Solutions: It’s understandable to receive a penalty for incorrect submissions, but penalizing a participant for re-submitting a correct solution feels counterintuitive. It discourages participants from validating their work or making improvements.

• Time Reset: Resetting the time to the latest submission makes the timing aspect of the contest unfair. If someone accidentally re-submits an accepted solution, they lose not just points but also their original, more favorable timing.

This experience was disappointing, and I believe this system could be improved.

I hope this post reaches MikeMirzayanov and the community, and that we can discuss potential changes to make the contest environment fairer and more encouraging for all participants.

Thank you for your attention.