{"679992":{"#nid":"679992","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Competitive Programming Team Excels at Meta Hacker Cup and Regional Competition","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Competitive Programming team has once again demonstrated its competitive edge, dominating in both the Meta Hacker Cup and the 2024 International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) regional competition. Under the guidance of Abrahim Ladha from the School of Computing Instruction and club presidents Marianna Cao and Raymond Bian, the team\u2019s success highlights their dedication, teamwork, and strategic preparation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeta Hacker Cup Success\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENearly 100 Georgia Tech students participated in the Meta Hacker Cup, highlighting the growing enthusiasm for competitive programming on campus. This prestigious competition, held in multiple rounds, saw impressive performances from several Georgia Tech participants:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMaxwell Zhang (username \u201csmax\u201d): 7th place internationally in Round 2, 125th in Round 3\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESunghyeon Jo (username \u201cainta\u201d): 8th place in Round 3, 13th overall\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKevin Shan (username: \u201ckevin\u201d): 185th in Round 3\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMarianna Cao (username: \u201cmariannacao\u201d): 169th in Round 3\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWeiyu Chen (username \u201ccwystc\u201d): 304th in Round 3\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDaniel Chang (username \u201cDanielChang\u201d): 157th in Round 3\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo advance to the final round, participants must place in the top 25 out of 500 internationally. Jo excelled, finishing 13th in the finals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m grateful to the club members for their dedication and effort\u2014we\u2019ve all put in a lot of hours, and it\u2019s great to have that shared commitment. Their energy and enthusiasm keep competitive programming at Georgia Tech strong,\u201d Cao said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EICPC Regionals Triumph\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team also made waves at the ICPC Regionals, with 15 Georgia Tech teams competing at Middle Georgia State University and securing four of the top 10 spots in the southern region.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe competition tasked teams with solving complex problems within a five-hour window, using just one computer per team. This format demands technical expertise, strategic thinking, and seamless collaboration. Typically, contests feature 11\u201313 problems, requiring innovative algorithmic solutions while balancing time and resource constraints.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe top Georgia Tech team\u2014comprising of Weiyu Chen, Kevin Shan, and Xieting Chu\u2014solved all 13 problems, placing second in the region and third nationally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a big difference between someone who scores a 99 on an exam and someone who scores a 100. If you score a 99, that was the best you could do. If you score 100, it\u2019s because there were no more points on the exam to earn. Our best team solved 13 problems because the contest only had 13 problems,\u201d Ladha said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo additional Georgia Tech teams also earned medals:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMaksim Krylykov, Daniel Chang, and Nguy\u1ec5n Minh Nh\u1eadt \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERaymond Bian, Jon Wang, and Marianna Cao\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECao emphasized the importance of practice and teamwork in their success.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe held weekly meetings with lectures and problem-solving sessions and added weekend training as ICPC approached. It was intense but effective,\u201d she said. \u201cWith only one computer per team in the competition, we took turns coding while others worked on problems or debugged on paper.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding a Thriving Community\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECao\u2019s journey with the Competitive Programming student organization began in her first year at Georgia Tech. While initially intimidating, the experience proved to be transformative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was intimidating at first because everyone was so smart. But they pushed me to grow,\u201d she shared. Now, as co-president alongside computer science major Raymond Bian, she\u2019s proud of how far the club has come.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis semester has been one of our most active. It\u2019s inspiring to see so many people excited about competitive programming,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, Cao and Bian have worked hard to make the club accessible and engaging. From attracting members at club fairs to creating dynamic lectures, they\u2019ve focused on fostering an inclusive community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECao also credited Ladha for his unwavering support. \u201cHis enthusiasm and encouragement have been a huge morale boost for all of us.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir efforts have paid off, with unprecedented participation this semester. New members actively attended lectures, engaged in discussions, and competed in events.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s been amazing to see the community grow and thrive,\u201d Cao said. \u201cSeeing a room full of people excited about something nerdy reminds me why I chose to be part of competitive programming in the first place.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team plans to host a large-scale programming contest at Georgia Tech this semester, aiming to further engage the campus community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor students interested in joining, the club meets weekly on Thursdays from 5\u20136 p.m. in Van Leer Building room C240. A beginners\u2019 workshop is also planned for later this semester.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStay updated on club activities by following them on Instagram: @gtcompetitiveprogramming.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Competitive Programming team has once again demonstrated its competitive edge, dominating in both the Meta Hacker Cup and the 2024 International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) regional competition."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Competitive Programming team has once again demonstrated its competitive edge, dominating in both the Meta Hacker Cup and the 2024 International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) regional competition. Under the guidance of Abrahim Ladha from the School of Computing Instruction and club presidents Marianna Cao and Raymond Bian, the team\u2019s success highlights their dedication, teamwork, and strategic preparation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Competitive Programming team has once again demonstrated its competitive edge, dominating in both the Meta Hacker Cup and the 2024 International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) regional competition."}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2025-01-27 20:10:02","changed_gmt":"2025-03-26 01:20:27","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-01-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-01-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676147":{"id":"676147","type":"image","title":"compprog2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EICPC top team Weiyu Chen, Kevin Shan, and Xieting Chu.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1738008829","gmt_created":"2025-01-27 20:13:49","changed":"1738008829","gmt_changed":"2025-01-27 20:13:49","alt":"ICPC top team Weiyu Chen, Kevin Shan, and Xieting Chu.","file":{"fid":"259874","name":"compprog2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/compprog2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/compprog2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":681751,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/27\/compprog2.jpg?itok=6tear8fy"}},"676148":{"id":"676148","type":"image","title":"COPY4113.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWeiyu Chen, Kevin Shan, and Xieting Chu placed third nationally. Photos by Marianna Cao.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1738008917","gmt_created":"2025-01-27 20:15:17","changed":"1738008917","gmt_changed":"2025-01-27 20:15:17","alt":"Weiyu Chen, Kevin Shan, and Xieting Chu placed third nationally. Photos by Marianna Cao.","file":{"fid":"259875","name":"COPY4113.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/COPY4113_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/COPY4113_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":587903,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/27\/COPY4113_0.jpg?itok=vWE8h_M4"}},"676149":{"id":"676149","type":"image","title":"copy4115.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMaksim Krylykov, Daniel Chang, and Nguy\u1ec5n Minh Nh\u1eadt also placed in the competition.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1738008917","gmt_created":"2025-01-27 20:15:17","changed":"1738008917","gmt_changed":"2025-01-27 20:15:17","alt":"Maksim Krylykov, Daniel Chang, and Nguy\u1ec5n Minh Nh\u1eadt also placed in the competition.","file":{"fid":"259876","name":"copy4115.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/copy4115_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/copy4115_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":477457,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/27\/copy4115_0.jpg?itok=MzoLRDEr"}},"676150":{"id":"676150","type":"image","title":"copy7987.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ERaymond Bian, Jon Wang, and Marianna Cao placed in the competition.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1738008917","gmt_created":"2025-01-27 20:15:17","changed":"1738008917","gmt_changed":"2025-01-27 20:15:17","alt":"Raymond Bian, Jon Wang, and Marianna Cao placed in the competition.","file":{"fid":"259877","name":"copy7987.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/copy7987_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/copy7987_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":492228,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/27\/copy7987_0.jpg?itok=tNzEz7vi"}},"676151":{"id":"676151","type":"image","title":"compprog.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s Competitive Programming team dominated at ICPC in November.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1738008917","gmt_created":"2025-01-27 20:15:17","changed":"1738008917","gmt_changed":"2025-01-27 20:15:17","alt":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Competitive Programming team ","file":{"fid":"259878","name":"compprog.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/compprog.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/01\/27\/compprog.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":398244,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/01\/27\/compprog.jpg?itok=4RbUZuIH"}}},"media_ids":["676147","676148","676149","676150","676151"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"208","name":"computing"},{"id":"194263","name":"competitive programming"},{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166847","name":"students"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}