TopCoder, Math, and Game Programming

reiners writes "DevX.com has an interesting interview with David Arthur (dgarthur), the 2003 TopCoder Collegiate Challenge winner. Arthur discusses many interesting topics: the similarities between TopCoder problems and math problems, why TopCoder performance is positively correlated with 'real-life' programming performance, and why game programming is where the action is."

Comments

programming 3D rendering engine

[stonebeat.org]

programming 3D rendering engine. that is where all the action is. i learned more about linear algebra while writting 3D rendering libraries, then i did during the course of my degree. :)

Language of Choice

[avdi]

I find it interesting that a math double-major, who's considering becoming a math professor, uses C++ as his language of choice, with Java coming second. Not Lisp, not Scheme, not Haskell - C++.

I'm not sure what conclusion to draw from that fact, I just find it interesting.

how about encryption?

[qortra]

It really depends on how you define "action". Encryption seems to me to be even more exciting a field. It isn't as glamorous as game programming, but the math involved is amazingly interesting (advanced number theory, primality), and good encryption tends to last for longer than good game engines.

3D rendering is not entirely about math (probably a lot more to do with studying the brain and how people generally interpret images that they see). Encryption however is ALL math. Anyhow, that's my 2 cents.

nobody talks about the actual problems?

[lingqi]

well after 69 comments (hehe), there has not been a SINGLE one discussing the competition problems, all three of which are quite interesting.

especially the hard one, probably, because my mind is drawing a blank on how to have it implemented... (no i didn't cheat and look at the solution).

heh, actually they go like this:

*easy* - okay, i can think of a algorithm. probably not the fastest thing in the world, but it should work out.
*medium* - have a haze of an idea on what an algorithm might look like. with enough caffine it MIGHT solidify.
*hard* - at least I understand the problem, but curses on the restrictions of a binary tree =)... no idea on algorithm that would finish executing before the end of the universe. (granted, only 50 elements, so maybe it's possible brute-force)

Damn; this is exactly how /. lowers productivity. making people spending way too much brain power on stuff that's completely unrelated and time consuming. heck; i might lose sleep over this.