Google™ Code Jam 2005

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http://www.topcoder.com/pl/?&module=...05&d2=overview
It's back! The Google™ Code Jam 2005 is now offering the best coders in the world a chance to compete for $155,000! Have you got what it takes? Can you take the pressure? Know how to solve problems? Know algorithms?

If you answered yes to one or more of the above, then the Google™ Code Jam 2005 is right up your alley. Join coders from around the world in this intense competition that requires all your mind has to offer.

Not only will you be in your glory of coding, but there are prizes for it too! It's more than just $155,000 but a chance to work for the hottest tech company, Google.

This is how it works:

The tournament is a timed contest where all participants compete online to solve the same problems under the same time constraints.

The competition is available in four programming languages - Java, C++, C#, and VB.

Here's the line-by-line documentation:


Download the Arena
The TopCoder® Competition Arena (a Java Applet) is where you begin. Download the app, read the problem statements, then code solutions, compile and test those solutions and submit the code for points. You can download the arena ahead of time to practice on sample problems prior to the competition.

Coding Phase
At the designated date and time, competitors enter the Arena and are placed in groups of ten into virtual rooms. All participants are presented with the same set of three problems of escalating difficulty. In a race to see who can create an accurate solution in the shortest amount of time, competitors try to out-think and out-code their opponents. The Leader Board tallies the points during each step of the competition.

Challenge Phase
During the Challenge Phase, competitors view each other's code and try to "break'" that code by passing test cases through the submitted code, with the hope that the results are not satisfied by the software written. Breaking another developer's code is the most direct form of competition for a programmer. In this phase, points are awarded for successful challenges and deducted for unsuccessful challenges.

System Tests
Within minutes of the end of the Challenge Phase, the automated, objective system tests determine the accuracy of all submissions and award final points to all competitors. The assessment of your performance and presentation of stats is nearly instantaneous, as is the gratification of knowing how you did against a competitive field.


Here's what you'll need to know:

Registration for the Google™ Code Jam 2005 is open from Monday, July 25, 2005 to Friday, August 19, 2005. Registration is unlimited, but only the top 500 scorers from the Qualification Round will advance to Round 1 of the Code Jam on August 29th.

Date Time* Status
Monday, July 25 9:00 AM Registration Opens
Friday, August 19 5:00 PM Registration Closes
Monday, August 22 12:00 PM (noon) Qualification Round begins
Tuesday, August 23 12:00 PM (noon) Qualification Round ends
Monday, August 29 9:00 PM Round 1 - 500 participants
Thursday, September 1 9:00 PM Round 2 - 250 participants
Friday, September 23 TBD Championship Round - 100 participants
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time


The competitors with the top 250 scores from Round 1 will advance to Round 2 on September 1st. The top 100 performers in Round 2 will be invited to compete for $155,000 in cash prizes in the Championship Round onsite at the Googleplex (Mountain View, CA) on September 23rd.

Prizes

The 500 participants in Round 1 will receive a "Google™ Code Jam 2005" t-shirt. All 100 finalists that compete in the Championship Round will receive a cash prize as follows:


1st place finisher - Tournament Champion $10,000
2nd to 10th place $5,000
11th to 25th place $2,500
26th to 50th place $1,000
51st to 100th place $750



To find out more detailed information about the Google Code Jam 2005, including a list of the prizes, please read the Terms and Conditions.