A Lecture from Champions: A Workshop for CTU Open Competitors

How do you approach a programming competition so it's not just about writing code fast, but about a well-thought-out team performance? That's what a one-day workshop on Friday, October 31 will show, aimed at participants of CTU Open 2025. Daria Bilan, Jakub Zíka, and others have prepared an event where participants can meet successful competitors from international contests, including world finalists, and learn from their first-hand experience.

How to prepare, compete, and win? We'll share concrete tips on how to minimize losses, stay calm, and work effectively as a team. You'll practice interesting problems, soak up the competition atmosphere, and maybe even find out who your future rivals will be.

The workshop takes place on October 31 at the FEE CTU building on Karlovo náměstí in Prague, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

10:00-10:40 Opening talk "How to do it" [Jakub Zíka, Daria Bilan]

Why it makes sense to read all the problem statements right at the start, even the long and intimidating ones.

How to spot the easiest problem and why it's best to start with it.

How to divide work effectively within the team: who codes, who reviews, who keeps the overview.

Competition techniques and hands-on problems We've picked topics that usually don't get covered in an algorithms course, yet don't require much prior knowledge. You'll hear talks on:

10:45-12:00 Constructive algorithms [Daniel Skýpala] 12:00-12:45 Lunch break [refreshments provided] 12:45-14:00 Dynamic programming special tricks [Daria Bilan] 14:15-15:30 Matrix exponentiation and its applications [Jakub Zíka]

Besides the on-site problems, participants will also get recommendations for further practice problems. At the end of the workshop, there will be time for questions, consultations, and feedback.

Want to sign up? Write to anna.urbanova@qminers.com.