In the recent Codeforces Round 968 (Div. 2) on August 25, 2024, I faced an unexpected challenge: a plagiarism flag on 2003C - Turtle and Good Pairs, despite competing fairly. I want to share my experience and clarify why I believe this flag is a mistake.

The Contest Experience:

This contest was significant for me as it marked the first time I successfully solved a D1 problem, which I completed in 1 hour and 55 minutes. Here’s a breakdown of my performance:

Problem A: Solved in 5 minutes 278055697 Problem B: Solved in under 24 minutes 278080955 Problem C: Solved in under 50 minutes 278105278 Problem D1: Solved in under 1 hour and 55 minutes. 278146168 Everything felt right. I was making steady progress and managed to solve the tougher D1 problem for the first time. However, after the contest ended, I was flagged for plagiarism on Problem C.

The Plagiarism Flag:

When I received the plagiarism flag, I was perplexed. I am confident that I did not cheat. I’ve noticed that simpler problems like Problem A often lead to similar solutions among participants, and I suspect a similar issue might have occurred with Problem C.

Why I Believe the Flag Is Unjust:

Fair Play: I solved each problem independently and did not use any external help or collaborate with others.

My History: I’ve participated in 28 Codeforces contests, solved 340+ problems on the platform, and tackled over 500+ DSA and CP problems on other platforms. This history reflects my commitment to fair play and problem-solving.

Problem D1: Successfully solving a D1 problem, which is often much tougher than Problem C, makes it illogical that I would need to cheat on a lower-difficulty problem like C. Moving Forward:

I am requesting a review of the plagiarism flag. I remain dedicated to fair competition and hope this appeal will help clear my name. Until then, I’ll continue participating with the same integrity and passion for coding that I’ve always had.

Please help me in my case, MikeMirzayanov.