Amao_Fox's blog

Should I solve the questions in the competition in order?
By Amao_Fox, history, 14 months ago, In English

When playing some games, especially last night's Div.1 + Div.2 (which is too late for China), I often find that I cannot do all the questions I can in order. In other words, I may not be able to make B, but I can make C. So I am considering whether I should start writing from question A or go through the questions first and start writing from the last question I know to the first question? Should we work hard or continue to work on the next question that we couldn't come up with after thinking for 10 minutes?

Also, has CodeForces considered hosting any other competitions at other times? Although this question has been around for a long time, I still want to ask (sorry)

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14 months ago, # |
← Rev. 4   Vote: I like it -16 Vote: I do not like it

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    14 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    That's kinda cheating

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      14 months ago, # ^ |
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        14 months ago, # ^ |
        ← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it +6 Vote: I do not like it

        It's not cheating in the sense that you're breaking CF rules, but such behavior is usually considered dishonest and cowardly and most of the community doesn't like when people do that.

        Also, doing that gives off the impression that you value your rating much more than contest experience, which is definitely not optimal for improvement.

        I can understand if you say that it's strategic participation or whatnot, but it won't change my opinion on this.

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    14 months ago, # ^ |
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    Actually, yesterday I read A and did it; I gave up on B because I didn't understand it at once; I handed in 7 incorrect C and gave up; But in the last two minutes, I worked out question D :)

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14 months ago, # |
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14 months ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

After the average amount of time it takes me to solve a problem of a given level has passed and I'm still stuck, I sometimes read the next 1-2 problems and check the dashboard to see the number of people who have solved each problem. After that I choose the problem that looks most solvable based on problem statements, solve count, and placement.

I usually still focus on the same problem even after checking these things — generally you should only switch problems if you are truly stuck, if you quickly see a pattern/solution to a new problem you read, or if the round is imbalanced (usually though, the problems are in their order for a reason.) Whatever you do, you should try to stay focused on one problem at a time rather than constantly switching or thinking about two problems simultaneously.

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    14 months ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

    I see, only look at one question at a time. I hope it can bring me better performance in the competition next time!

    I voted 'I like it'.

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