Hey Codeforces! I'm Ahnaf, a beginner in CP and aiming to reach pupil in a month. I’m solving about 5 problems a day, mostly rated 800–900, and plan to solve around 100–120 problems at each rating before moving up (like 900–1000 next), by filtering recent problems by rating.

My routine: I try to think about a problem for 30 minutes, then check the editorial if stuck, and finally implement it myself. I use C++ and I’m kinda comfortable with basic STL like vector, map, set, sort(), and unique().

I’d love to know if this is a good way to improve. Should I keep doing this? Also, what beginner topics should I focus on next to solve more and get better faster?

So far, I’ve practiced basics of C++, math, brute force, and implementation. Any advice, topic lists, or practice plans from you guys would be awesome!

Thanks a lot! — Ahnaf

I am an aspiring IOI participant who has recently started practicing competitive programming consistently. Currently, I solve around 4 to 10 problems per day. I have a good grasp of C++ and some familiarity with the Standard Template Library (STL), but I have limited knowledge of data structures and algorithms (DSA).

My goal is to achieve a Specialist rating on Codeforces as part of my long-term preparation for the IOI. I would greatly appreciate suggestions from the community on which topics, techniques, and problem-solving strategies I should prioritize to reach this milestone. Any guidance on structured learning paths or resources would also be very helpful."

Hello, Codeforces community!

As a beginner in competitive programming, diving into Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) can feel overwhelming. To make it more approachable, I decided to create my own DSA curriculum tailored for beginners like myself. This curriculum is structured, beginner-friendly, and covers the essential concepts you need to progress in problem-solving and competitive programming.

I’d love to share it with you all! Let’s dive in.

Why Create This Curriculum?

When I started my journey in programming, I faced these common challenges:

• Lack of a clear roadmap.
• Getting stuck on advanced topics without mastering the basics.
• Feeling lost with random tutorials and problem sets.

This curriculum addresses these issues by providing a structured, progressive approach to learning DSA. It’s designed to build a solid foundation, grow confidence, and gradually tackle harder problems.

Curriculum Overview

1. Foundations of Programming

• Topics to Learn:
  • Variables, Data Types, Input/Output
  • Conditional Statements (if/else, switch)
  • Loops (for, while, do-while)
  • Basic Pattern Printing
• Practice Problems:
  • Codeforces — A. Theatre Square
  • Codeforces — A. Watermelon
• Goal: Be comfortable with basic syntax and logic building.

2. Arrays and Strings

• Topics to Learn:
  • 1D and 2D Arrays
  • String Manipulation
  • Sliding Window Technique (Basic)
• Practice Problems:
  • Codeforces — A. Beautiful Matrix
  • Codeforces — A. Boy or Girl
• Goal: Understand traversal, searching, and basic operations in arrays and strings.

3. Sorting and Searching

• Topics to Learn:
  • Bubble Sort, Selection Sort, Insertion Sort
  • Binary Search and its Variants
• Practice Problems:
  • Codeforces — B. Binary Search
  • Codeforces — B. Maximum Product
• Goal: Master basic sorting algorithms and binary search.

4. Basic Data Structures

• Topics to Learn:
  • Stacks and Queues
  • Linked Lists (Basics)
  • Hash Maps (Basics)
• Practice Problems:
  • Codeforces — A. Parentheses
  • Codeforces — C. Minimum Extraction
• Goal: Learn how to use basic data structures in problem-solving.

5. Recursion and Backtracking

• Topics to Learn:
  • Recursive Functions
  • Permutations and Combinations
  • Basic Backtracking Problems
• Practice Problems:
  • Codeforces — C. Beautiful Numbers
  • Codeforces — C. Dividing by Two
• Goal: Develop an understanding of recursion and problem-solving through backtracking.

6. Introduction to Graphs

• Topics to Learn:
  • Graph Representation (Adjacency List/Matrix)
  • Depth-First Search (DFS)
  • Breadth-First Search (BFS)
• Practice Problems:
  • Codeforces — D. Yet Another Promotion
  • Codeforces — B. Journey
• Goal: Understand how to represent and traverse graphs.

7. Dynamic Programming (DP)

• Topics to Learn:
  • Introduction to DP
  • Fibonacci Sequence (Tabulation and Memoization)
  • Basic 0/1 Knapsack Problem
• Practice Problems:
  • Codeforces — A. Frog Jump
  • Codeforces — B. Permutation Recovery
• Goal: Get comfortable with solving basic DP problems.

8. Advanced Topics (Optional)

• Segment Trees
• Fenwick Trees
• Disjoint Set Union (DSU)
• Practice Advanced Problems as Needed

How to Follow This Curriculum

1. Allocate Time: Spend 4–6 hours a day (or as much as you can consistently dedicate).
2. Understand the Concept: Watch tutorials, read documentation, and make notes.
3. Practice Problems: Solve at least 5 problems per topic.
4. Reflect: After solving, review your solutions and analyze alternate approaches.
5. Ask for Help: Use the Codeforces community and online resources if you get stuck.

Resources

• YouTube Channels: Tushar Roy, CodeNCode, Abdul Bari
• Books: "Introduction to Algorithms" by Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest, and Stein; "Competitive Programmer’s Handbook" by Antti Laaksonen.
• Online Platforms: Codeforces, LeetCode, HackerRank, GeeksforGeeks.

Final Thoughts

This curriculum is a work in progress, and I’m actively learning and improving it. I hope it helps beginners like me to stay focused and build a strong foundation in DSA. If you have feedback, suggestions, or questions, feel free to share them in the comments below.

Let’s grow together!

Happy coding, everyone!