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Google is organizing similar event aka Google Code Jam ( http://code.google.com/codejam http://code.google.com/codejam ) for years. Facebook Hacker Cup feels l

by l0nwlf 16y ago

Google is organizing similar event aka Google Code Jam ( http://code.google.com/codejam http://code.google.com/codejam ) for years. Facebook Hacker Cup feels like a clone of it. Similarities: 1. Annual algorithmic competitions. 2. Various online elimination rounds. 3. World finals at headquarters. 4. Prizes: 1st place = $5000 USD, 2nd place = 2000$ USD, 3rd place for $1000 USD and $100 for 4th through 25th place.

ilovecomputers 16y ago
So? More money (or free tshirts) for idle programmers I say :D
eleusive 16y ago
Based on their engineering puzzles[1], I'd maybe expect problems geared more towards approximation/heuristics. The GCJ problems always require exact answers. [1] http://www.facebook.com/careers/puzzles.php http://www.facebook.com/careers/puzzles.php
- tdmackey 16y ago
  I'd be surprised. The heuristics type facebook engineering puzzles are more long term type puzzles. These multi-problem fixed time competitions like codejam, icpc, and even top coder, are typically algorithmic masturbation combined with a handful of interesting tricks and an in-depth knowledge of your language's standard libraries. The contest setup and configuration help to make the context fair and scoring easy while still allowing for a decent variety of problems in a very small time window. The more challenging heuristic problems you see on their site don't lend themselves well to the format or nature of similar contests. It will be more so unusual insightful variations on textbook algorithms than something like their Dinosaur Island puzzle. While it would be interesting to see otherwise, I don't see facebook doing anything other than exact answer solutions for this initial contest.
sparky 16y ago
GCJ is itself similar to the much older ACM's ICPC ( http://cm.baylor.edu/welcome.icpc http://cm.baylor.edu/welcome.icpc , around in some form since 1977 http://cm.baylor.edu/ICPCWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=The%20Early%20Years http://cm.baylor.edu/ICPCWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=The%20Early%20Ye... ), though of course it's not limited to college students.
- staktrace 16y ago
  The ICPC is fairly different in format though. For one, it's always team-based, and usually has much harder problems since the entrants are always university-level students who have taken advanced algorithms courses. I've participated in both TopCoder contests and the ICPC and the GCJ/HackerCup are definitely TopCoder-style rather than ICPC.
staktrace 16y ago
The GCJ was google's spin off from the standard TopCoder algorithm competitions (see http://topcoder.com/tc http://topcoder.com/tc). In fact the first two GCJs were run by TopCoder before Google decided they wanted to run it themselves. I suspect the Hacker Cup is also being run by TopCoder.

by l0nwlf 16y ago

ilovecomputers 16y ago

So? More money (or free tshirts) for idle programmers I say :D

eleusive 16y ago

Based on their engineering puzzles[1], I'd maybe expect problems geared more towards approximation/heuristics. The GCJ problems always require exact answers. [1] http://www.facebook.com/careers/puzzles.php http://www.facebook.com/careers/puzzles.php

tdmackey 16y ago
I'd be surprised. The heuristics type facebook engineering puzzles are more long term type puzzles. These multi-problem fixed time competitions like codejam, icpc, and even top coder, are typically algorithmic masturbation combined with a handful of interesting tricks and an in-depth knowledge of your language's standard libraries. The contest setup and configuration help to make the context fair and scoring easy while still allowing for a decent variety of problems in a very small time window. The more challenging heuristic problems you see on their site don't lend themselves well to the format or nature of similar contests. It will be more so unusual insightful variations on textbook algorithms than something like their Dinosaur Island puzzle. While it would be interesting to see otherwise, I don't see facebook doing anything other than exact answer solutions for this initial contest.

sparky 16y ago

GCJ is itself similar to the much older ACM's ICPC ( http://cm.baylor.edu/welcome.icpc http://cm.baylor.edu/welcome.icpc , around in some form since 1977 http://cm.baylor.edu/ICPCWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=The%20Early%20Years http://cm.baylor.edu/ICPCWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=The%20Early%20Ye... ), though of course it's not limited to college students.

staktrace 16y ago
The ICPC is fairly different in format though. For one, it's always team-based, and usually has much harder problems since the entrants are always university-level students who have taken advanced algorithms courses. I've participated in both TopCoder contests and the ICPC and the GCJ/HackerCup are definitely TopCoder-style rather than ICPC.

staktrace 16y ago

The GCJ was google's spin off from the standard TopCoder algorithm competitions (see http://topcoder.com/tc http://topcoder.com/tc). In fact the first two GCJs were run by TopCoder before Google decided they wanted to run it themselves. I suspect the Hacker Cup is also being run by TopCoder.