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12th Internet Problem Solving Contest, This Sunday

Posted by timothy on from the how-about-that-durned-oil-spill dept.

misof writes "Roughly a thousand teams from all around the globe have already registered for IPSC 2010, which takes place on Sunday, June 6. $3,000 in prize money (courtesy of Facebook, Inc.) is waiting for the best few of them. Participation is free and the contest is open to everybody. IPSC is what you could call a programming contest with a twist. Over the years, the problems always push the boundary and go beyond the usual stuff you see in a programming contest. For example, in past few years the contestants have had to understand how arithmetic in computers differs from that in mathematics, produce a sequence of cache requests that generates many page faults, solve a logic puzzle given as a Flash game, and recognize images to evaluate a rock-paper-scissors game."

52 comments

  1. First! by lazyDog86 · · Score: 5, Funny

    When will they have a contest to get rid of all those lame "First!" comments?

    --
    my insights may be modded Funny, but at least some of my jokes are modded Insightful
    1. Re:First! by Sulphur · · Score: 1

      If everyone knew how to post without the reply button, then the situation would get so bad that it would get fixed.

      --

      Signing dog offers to help owner with his pitiful attempts at barking.

    2. Re:First! by martin-boundary · · Score: 1
      That was already one of the tasks in the mathematical contest.

      It turns out that First post != First post in general, even though "First post" == "First post" obviously, but especially when the authors are Anonymous != Anonymous. Sometimes of course, Anonymous == Anonymous, and you still have First post != First post, because both of them find it boring to have First post == First post in that case and he's just trying to mess with your head.

    3. Re:First! by Anci3nt+of+Days · · Score: 1

      Teaching users to change their behaviour?!? I wanted a real solution - with more code.

    4. Re:First! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lets have an extinction level oil leak ignore it and put our best minds on a $200 spelling bee.

      Okay go

    5. Re:First! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That would be a first.

    6. Re:First! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ever heard of regex?........

    7. Re:First! by Dishevel · · Score: 1
      They had that contest. The winners stopped browsing at -1. Then there were those who were ok with the posts. At the bottom of course were those who hated reading the posts but did anyway just so they could bitch about it and sound cool.

      Congratulations

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
  2. Pass by Joe+Snipe · · Score: 1

    I'm probably gonna skip this one, since it starts at 2am for me.

    --
    Sometimes, life itself is sarcasm...
    1. Re:Pass by Peach+Rings · · Score: 0

      I'm going to pass on this one since I'm only a student, I could solve all of the given 2008 problems immediately, and the contest is open to everyone. I figure I don't have a chance when it's this easy.

    2. Re:Pass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I want to participate, but I can't figure out how to register...

    3. Re:Pass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This contest is, really, not for you, if you have difficulty finding the register link in their homepage(which is the first link in TFS)

    4. Re:Pass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Really? Why only one team in 2008 solve all problems?:-) An in 2009 no one solve all problems (but each problem was solved by someone).

    5. Re:Pass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoosh!

  3. Facebook, Inc.? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uh oh, Mark Zuckerberg is coming for your code.

    1. Re:Facebook, Inc.? by game+kid · · Score: 2, Funny

      Why not? It keeps objectifying itself with those short comments, that skimpy running time, those perfect indentations...

      It's just begging for it.

      --
      You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  4. International Practical Shooting Confederation by Unending · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They could have chosen the name better that acronym is fairly well known for something else...

    1. Re:International Practical Shooting Confederation by Garble+Snarky · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Your IPSC could have chosen their name better, seeing that it overlaps with...
      Intel Personal Supercomputer
      International Private Society Club
      Interagency Perchlorate Steering Committee
      Interim Political and Security Committee
      ...

      Would you kindly recommend an unused acronym?

    2. Re:International Practical Shooting Confederation by Arancaytar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      They could have picked their schedule better, too. June 6 is the second round of Google's 2010 Code Jam contest...

    3. Re:International Practical Shooting Confederation by Adambomb · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Annual Network Utilization Society

      --
      Ice Cream has no bones.
    4. Re:International Practical Shooting Confederation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      GCJ is on June 5th

    5. Re:International Practical Shooting Confederation by Unending · · Score: 1

      Nice try, but all of those came after International Practical Shooting Confederation.

    6. Re:International Practical Shooting Confederation by imakemusic · · Score: 1

      I like the idea of an International Theoretical Shooting Confederation. I picture a group of men with big moustaches sitting round, smoking pipes, discussing...

      "Boom."
      "Bang?"
      "Ratatat!"
      "Indeed."

      --
      Brain surgery - it's not rocket science!
    7. Re:International Practical Shooting Confederation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      International Theoretical Shooting Confederation could describe most gun-related message boards on the internet.

  5. Arithmetic by by+(1706743) · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...understand how arithmetic in computers differs from that in mathematics...

    That's a good question. I mean, computers don't have fingers, so how exactly can they do arithmetic?

    1. Re:Arithmetic by Arancaytar · · Score: 1

      They only have one finger on each hand, but they do have millions of hands. :P

    2. Re:Arithmetic by glwtta · · Score: 4, Funny

      I mean, computers don't have fingers, so how exactly can they do arithmetic?

      They don't? But I thought they were digital?

      --
      sic transit gloria mundi
  6. facebook.. really? by binaryseraph · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please tell me I'm not the only one who is amused by facebook being the giver of the prize money. Oh wait, this just IN: BP Oil to provide $6000 to winner of Endangered Species Survival contest.

    1. Re:facebook.. really? by tisepti · · Score: 1

      Ah so *thats* what the spill was about? More endangered species -> more survival chances!

  7. Re:Offtopic by Sir_Lewk · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    hola... barrett? I think that's right.

    --
    "linux is just DOS with a UNIX like syntax" -- Galactic Dominator (944134)
  8. Re:Offtopic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, you know that if you make positive contributions to Slashdot (eg: good comments), you have the ability to not see ads. Maybe you should try to make positive contributions next time?

  9. Re:Offtopic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He has been, that is why you see the "disable ads" box in his screenshot.

    Also, he posted AC, so it's not like it hurt his karma.

  10. Problem #1 by PPH · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Getting up on Sunday in time for the contest after some hard partying Saturday night.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  11. Let the best win.. by jameswrightt · · Score: 1

    Even I have registered for this contest. Let the best win... http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/advanced-colon-max-review-amp-free-trial-2146370.html

  12. Who is the real winner? by Megaflux · · Score: 3, Interesting

    3000 bucks for solving a problem that would cost FB at least 10 times more money in developing cost....

    1. Re:Who is the real winner? by Motard · · Score: 1

      It's worse than that. $1200 for the winning 3 person team. For $400, I might as well just go to work.

    2. Re:Who is the real winner? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But is your days work good enough to be worth being employed by facebook?

      "Facebook is also looking to hire the best contestants for both full time and internship positions."

    3. Re:Who is the real winner? by WillDraven · · Score: 1

      And even if you opted not to work for facebook (or they declined to hire you for whatever reason) this still wouldn't be a bad thing to have on your resume.

      --
      This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
    4. Re:Who is the real winner? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The IPSC attracts many of the best contest programmers in the world, and it does so by having some of the most original and inventive problems to ever appear on a contest.

      If you're even thinking about the money, you're doing it wrong. Frankly, unless you're one of about 10 people (and you're not), you don't have a prayer of winning. So the only reason to compete is because you enjoy competing.

    5. Re:Who is the real winner? by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      3000 bucks for solving a problem that would cost FB at least 10 times more money in developing cost....

      Actually, if you look at the problems and the solutions, you submit the answer. You don't submit how you got the answer, or your program source code at all. Some of those problems look like the best strategy is to simply apply pencil and paper and solve it manually. Or think it through and compose an answer.

      It's computer oriented, but use of a computer in the final solution is optional - it may be really useful (e.g., the RPS hard challenge, but that can also be manually evaluated), or it may be completely useless (e.g., the fish game). No hidden datasets that you're tested on, just a problem, and the result you send back is the answer. How you got to the answer is up to you - completely using your brain, or completely using your computer, or more likely, a reasonable mashup between the two, coupled with the Internet.

  13. What kind of problems does the internet have? by HRbnjR · · Score: 1, Funny

    We still don't have enough postcards from all over the world. Therefore the annual special task remains: You are encouraged to send us a nice postcard. If the postcard arrives before the contest, your team will be awarded -60 penalty minutes. Our address: KSP, KZVI FMFI UK, Mlynska dolina, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    To save team costs for sending in postcards, we would like to send a single envelope from one team to the next, in which each team may deposit their postcard before forwarding onward to the next team. Please order the list of team addresses in order to minimize the postage costs required to accomplish this task.

  14. Re:Offtopic by timothy · · Score: 1

    I just filed a bug report about this, including your screenshot. (Thanks.)

    I've seen some ad weirdness of late on the admin side, too (may have been with that very same ad in one case); the ways of internet advertising are sometimes mysterious, and (sorry) I have nothing to do with the advertising aspect.

    timothy

    --
    jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
  15. That's a lot of internets! by faithfracture · · Score: 1

    And here I was thinking this whole time that "the internet" referred to only 1 internet!

  16. missing hyphen.... by chameleon3 · · Score: 1

    What's the 12th Internet Problem?

    1. Re:missing hyphen.... by natehoy · · Score: 1

      ... and how is it solving a contest?

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."