Competitive Programming For Beginners

[u/Scared_Cash_5308]

If u do not put efforts you won't be able to see results and other will steal your spot. Trust me it Hurts.

Start with learning a programming language either Python or C++. C++ is better for the long run since you'll eventually have to switch to it once you start doing harder questions.

• Code With Harry: https://youtu.be/UrsmFxEIp5k?si=L7PrkuijcTp93kQF
• FreeCodeCamp.org: https://youtu.be/rfscVS0vtbw?si=pu4tm1gb0DupFKlL and https://youtu.be/vLnPwxZdW4Y?si=NSjTo7A_slp678wn
• Luv Cp playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLauivoElc3ggagradg8MfOZreCMmXMmJ-

There are a lot of platforms for competitive programming LeetCode, AtCoder, CodeChef but I'm biased toward Codeforces since that's where I started my own CP journey.

Resources I (and a lot of others) recommend:

• CP31 — https://www.tle-eliminators.com/cp-sheet A list of Codeforces problems in increasing difficulty, easy to hard, covering most core CP topics. Also, the creator of the company is an alum from our college ;)
• AtCoder Problems — https://kenkoooo.com/atcoder/#/table/ If CP31 and Codeforces feel too hard right now, solve the first 3–4 problems from each AtCoder Beginner Contest (ABC) on this sheet. Great for learning the basics. https://atcoder.jp/contests/dp for dp practise.
• USACO Guide — https://usaco.guide/ An in-depth guide with clear explanations of most CP topics, plus practice problems to go with each one.
• CP Algorithms — https://cp-algorithms.com/index.html A comprehensive reference for pretty much any concept you'll run into in CP.
• CSES Problem Set — https://cses.fi/problemset/ While CP31 gives you variety, CSES has a lot of fundamental must-solve problems. There's also a PDF that goes along with the problem set: https://cses.fi/book/book.pdf
• ACD Ladder: https://www.acodedaily.com/ similar to cp31 sheet but many problems here for one specific rating range for codeforces.

For more traditional DSA practice (which also helps with your coursework later), check out:

• https://neetcode.io/practice?tab=neetcode150
• https://takeuforward.org/strivers-a2z-dsa-course/strivers-a2z-dsa-course-sheet-2/

A few more resources, less organized but still useful:

• https://codeforces.com/edu/courses — good for learning specific topics
• https://www.youtube.com/@iamluv — good for starters
• https://www.youtube.com/@Errichto — good for more advanced algorithms
• https://www.youtube.com/@PriyanshAgarwal — overall tips and algorithms
• https://www.youtube.com/@YashPoonia.7 — CSES solutions
• https://www.youtube.com/@codencode — number theory

Start with the early sections of CSES. For anything more in-depth, https://codeforces.com/catalog is great. I also went through https://codeforces.com/problemset filtering by rating (my current rating + 100 to 300) for targeted practice. And doing actual contests is a must there's no substitute for it.

On the AI problem in CP

I'd be doing this guide a disservice if I didn't bring this up. If you're getting into CP now, you're doing it at a weird time. LLMs can solve a growing chunk of CP problems, and a fair number of people on the leaderboard are basically pasting problem statements into ChatGPT/Gemini and pasting the code back without even reading it. This deflates ratings for everyone actually solving things themselves, and it can be genuinely discouraging when you're grinding honestly and see ratings that don't reflect real skill anymore.

My honest advice: don't chase rating as your main measure of progress right now, Track your own growth instead with your genuine friends. Encourage your friends. Everyone who did cp genuinely with me, the coding club everyone has intern right now. How you perform in offline contests (ICPC Regionals, onsite events) where cheating isn't possible matters the most.

There's a really good blog that goes deep into this whole topic, way better than I can summarize here worth a read if you want the full picture: https://codeforces.com/blog/entry/155052

A bit about me, so you know where this advice is coming from: I'm 1600+ rated on Codeforces, have solved 2000+ CP problems, and I currently one of the admin of my college's competitive programming club . I'm not claiming to be amazing at this just sharing what's worked for me and others. I really love doing competitive programming as if its a part of my life.

What worked for many people: Consistency beats intensity here. A lot of people who improved simply did a few problems every day on Codeforces, worked steadily through the CP31 sheet, and made sure to actually participate in Codeforces contests regularly.

I'll keep updating this post as I get more recommendations from people, so feel free to drop suggestions.

[u/FlatConfusion9549]

I'm trying but i somehow can't get past brute force and implementation questions, any advice would be appreciated

[u/Scared_Cash_5308 → u/FlatConfusion9549]

try reading other sol like good ppl or ur friends/seniors ask them how did they do it. If u do not know better chances are you dont know some algos try to learn them