Today I was revisiting Problem D — Come a Little Closer from Codeforces Round 1027 (Div. 3). I had already solved the problem, but my solution was a bit long, so I decided to look through the submissions to see if anyone had implemented a cleaner approach.

While browsing, I came across something strange: 8 consecutive C++ submissions, all from different user IDs, were completely identical. Not just similar logic — but identical code, formatting, variable names, everything. It was clearly not a coincidence.

This made me wonder: - Are solutions being shared publicly during or after contests? - How often does this happen in Div. 3 or in general? - What does this mean for fairness and genuine learning on the platform?

Just to be clear:

❗ I will not be sharing any usernames or submission IDs. This post is meant to highlight a trend, not to target or shame anyone.
I believe maintaining respect and focusing on the bigger picture is more productive for the community.

If others have noticed similar patterns, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Should Codeforces take stronger steps to detect and discourage mass-copying? Or is this just an unavoidable side effect of open problem discussion post-contest?

Let’s talk about it — constructively.