Riyuzak251097's blog

I wanted some advice on practice
By Riyuzak251097, history, 6 years ago, In English

hi everyone, i have been lately solving lots of problems on codeforces and frequently giving contests. I found that i am able to solve A and B problems regularly in a contest and also solved the a2oj ladder. In case of C problems i am facing big difficulty as in most of them i am not able to think like the way of the solution, i am regularly practicing on a20j in div2 c category but still i am not able to think and have to see the solution. This is becoming kind of a habit with around 1 getting solved out of 5. Just wanted to know am i following the right path?

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6 years ago, # |
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How much time do you give to a C problem before seeing the solution?

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    6 years ago, # ^ |
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    Well around an hour

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      6 years ago, # ^ |
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      You should try to give more time to each problem. If you are not able to think an approach to a certain problem then try taking a break. If still not able to solve then do it the next day or the day after that. If you are still not able to do it, then see the solution and understand why that solution approach works. Also, see other solutions to get another approach to solve that problem. Remember why is important.

      I have spent many days solving many problems and was still not able to solve many of them. So don't be disappointed if you are not able to solve them on the first go. Just keep trying and working hard.

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        6 years ago, # ^ |
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        Thanks for the advice, i'll definitely take this into account

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6 years ago, # |
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You should try solving around 100-150 classical problems(sorted by most solved) on spoj. This will make you familiar with most common DS and algorithms.

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    6 years ago, # ^ |
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    Thanks for replying, i will definitely start solving them. I am just looking for improvement

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6 years ago, # |
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I think keeping practicing is a good approach to improving yourself. Besides, as for me, I will also try to find if there exist any common "tricks" or general ideas behind the problems that I have met. For instance, when I meet a problem associated with number theory, I will immediately come up with some techniques, like Fermat's theory or fast exponentiation. Perhaps none of these techniques are involved in the problem, anyway it helps sometimes, since it is likely that the solution is just slightly modified based on these ideas.

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