How to become an Expert on Codeforces | Tips and Topics for each Rating from Newbie to Specialist
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Priyan Agarwal offers a comprehensive roadmap for advancing from a novice to an expert on Codeforces. He emphasizes mastering a programming language, understanding time and space complexity, and learning essential math concepts. For different rating levels, he suggests specific topics and strategies, such as binary search for pupils and dynamic programming for specialists. Agarwal also provides tips like focusing on implementation skills and avoiding irrelevant topics, and recommends resources like CP Algorithms and his CP31 problem set for structured learning.
Takeaways
- 😀 Priyan Agarwal provides a roadmap for Codeforces users to progress from newbie to expert.
- 🎯 The video targets three main rating groups on Codeforces: Newbie, Pupil, and Specialist.
- 🛠 For newbies, mastering a programming language and understanding time and space complexity are crucial.
- 🧠 Newbies should focus on learning basic math concepts, recursion, and inbuilt functions of their programming language.
- 📈 Tips for newbies include not rushing through topics, building strong implementation skills, and staying motivated.
- 🔍 Pupils should concentrate on advanced topics like binary search, number theory, prefix sums, and greedy algorithms.
- 🌟 For pupils, tips involve solving ad-hoc problems, participating in contests, and applying learned concepts.
- 📚 Special attention is given to mastering binary search and greedy algorithms for those rated as pupils.
- 🏆 As a specialist, topics like two pointers, advanced number theory, dynamic programming, and graphs become critical.
- 📘 Tips for specialists include proving approaches, reading blogs for deeper understanding, and avoiding irrelevant topics.
- 📝 The video also mentions resources like CP Algorithms and the CSS problem set for further learning.
Q & A
What is the main goal of the video presented by Priyan Agarwal?
-The main goal of the video is to provide a comprehensive roadmap for individuals to improve their coding skills on Codeforces, with the aim of advancing from a newb to an expert level.
Why is it important to master a programming language according to the video?
-Mastering a programming language is crucial because it enables you to implement 90% of the logic that comes to your mind without needing to rely on external help, which is essential for competitive programming.
What is the significance of understanding time and space complexity in competitive programming as per the video?
-Understanding time and space complexity is significant because it allows you to write efficient code. Efficiency in coding is judged through these complexities, which is a key aspect of competitive programming.
What are the three important tips given for newbs on Codeforces?
-The three tips for newbs are: 1) Do not run after advanced topics too soon, 2) Focus on building strong implementation skills, and 3) Do not get disheartened by the initial challenges and focus on building fundamentals.
Why is binary search advanced emphasized for pupils on Codeforces?
-Binary search advanced is emphasized for pupils because it involves understanding monotonic functions and is a fundamental technique that can be applied to many problems, making it a crucial skill to master.
What is the role of number theory in advancing from a pupil to a specialist on Codeforces?
-Number theory plays a pivotal role as it involves mastering concepts like Sieve of Eratosthenes and the Ukkonen algorithm, which are often the basis for many problems on Codeforces.
How does the video suggest improving implementation skills for competitive programming?
-The video suggests improving implementation skills by focusing on solving a lot of problems, ensuring that when a logic comes to mind, one should be able to code it out efficiently.
What is the advice for pupils on Codeforces regarding the habit of solving ad-hoc problems?
-The advice is to get into the habit of solving ad-hoc problems, which do not require specific topics but rather logical thinking, to enhance problem-solving skills.
Why is dynamic programming considered the most important topic after binary search in competitive programming?
-Dynamic programming is considered the most important topic after binary search because many problems on Codeforces are based on dynamic programming ideas, and mastering it is essential to becoming a competitive programmer.
What are some additional topics that can increase the chances of becoming an expert on Codeforces as mentioned in the video?
-Some additional topics that can increase the chances of becoming an expert include graphs, trees, binary lifting, segment trees, and range query data structures like Fenwick or Sparse tables.
What is the significance of the TLE Eliminators course mentioned in the video?
-The TLE Eliminators course is significant as it provides a structured learning environment with live classes, curated practice problems, and instant doubt support, helping to teach relevant topics and improve problem-solving skills for competitive programming.
Outlines
💻 Path from Codeforces Newbie to Expert
Priyan Agarwal introduces a roadmap for aspiring competitive programmers aiming to improve their ratings on Codeforces. He highlights the current scenario where the majority of participants in India are below a 1300 rating and emphasizes the need to progress to the 'expert' level. The video is structured to guide viewers through the journey from a beginner ('newb') to an expert, providing specific advice and tips for each rating level. The speaker outlines the importance of mastering a programming language, understanding time and space complexity, and learning about data structures and algorithms. Special attention is given to the concept of recursion and building a strong foundation in mathematics.
📚 Advancing from Pupil to Specialist on Codeforces
The speaker discusses the next steps for those who have progressed beyond the newbie stage on Codeforces. For 'pupils' with a rating above 1000, the focus shifts to mastering advanced topics like binary search, number theory, prefix sums, and greedy algorithms. The importance of binary search is underscored, with a recommendation to solve numerous problems to gain expertise. Number theory is also emphasized, with suggestions to learn advanced concepts like sieve algorithms. The speaker provides practical tips, such as focusing on implementation skills, not getting disheartened by initial difficulties, and the value of participating in contests to apply learned concepts.
🎓 Transitioning to Specialist and Beyond on Codeforces
As the discussion moves towards higher ratings, the speaker congratulates those who have achieved the 'specialist' level and outlines the advanced topics they should tackle. These include two-pointer techniques, advanced number theory, combinatorics, and dynamic programming. The speaker stresses the critical nature of dynamic programming for competitive programmers and encourages solving a significant number of problems in this area. Additional topics like graphs, trees, and advanced data structures are suggested for those aiming even higher. Tips for specialists include proving approaches, reading blogs for independent learning, and avoiding irrelevant topics that do not contribute to becoming an expert.
🚀 Final Steps to Expert Level on Codeforces
In the concluding part, the speaker provides targeted advice for those close to achieving an 'expert' rating on Codeforces. The guidance includes solving problems within a specific rating range, utilizing resources like CP Algorithms and the CSS problem set, and focusing on problem-solving rather than memorizing solutions. The speaker also introduces a personal resource, the 'cp31' sheet, which curates problems based on Codeforces ratings. The video ends with encouragement and a structured approach for viewers to follow, ensuring they have a clear path from beginner to expert in competitive programming.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Codeforces
💡Competitive Programming
💡Rating
💡Programming Language
💡Time and Space Complexity
💡Recursion
💡Binary Search
💡Number Theory
💡Greedy Algorithms
💡Bit Manipulation
💡Dynamic Programming
Highlights
Priyan Agarwal provides a roadmap for improving on Codeforces from a newb to an expert.
90% of people in India are rated below 1300 on Codeforces, indicating a need for better competitive programming skills.
For newbies, mastering a single programming language is crucial.
Understanding time and space complexity is essential for writing efficient code.
Learn about inbuilt functions in your programming language like C++ STL for quick implementations.
Focus on basic math concepts and modular arithmetic for a strong foundation in competitive programming.
Recursion is a fundamental concept that is widely used in various topics.
As a newbie, avoid advanced topics and focus on building a strong foundation.
For pupils on Codeforces, binary search advanced is a crucial topic to master.
Number Theory and prefix sums are important topics to level up from a pupil to a specialist.
Greedy algorithms are key in competitive programming and require mastering standard greedy ideas.
Bit manipulation is a significant topic for those approaching specialist level on Codeforces.
Solving ad-hoc problems helps in developing logical thinking without relying on specific topics.
Participating in contests and learning from unsolved problems is a recommended practice for pupils.
For specialists, two pointers and sliding windows techniques are essential for optimizing binary search problems.
Advanced number theory and combinatorics are key areas to focus on as a specialist.
Dynamic programming is a must-master topic for any competitive programmer.
Basic graph and tree algorithms are beneficial for those aiming to be experts on Codeforces.
Reading Codeforces blogs and editorials is recommended for independent learning at higher levels.
Avoid learning irrelevant topics that are not necessary for reaching expert level on Codeforces.
CP Algorithms and the CSS problem set are valuable resources for learning and practicing.
Targeting problems within a 200-point range of your current rating on Codeforces is a strategic approach.
Transcripts
hi everyone welcome back to the channel
my name is priyan Agarwal and in this
video I am going to give you a complete
road map to go from newb on code forces
to expert 90% people in India today are
less than 1300 rated on code forces now
that's a very very shocking number
because this tells us that so many
people in India are trying out
competitive programming they're getting
started with it but very very few people
are actually getting to a good enough
level and a good enough level in
competitive programming is actually
something like an expert so in this
video I going to go in a specific order
first of all I will talk about what
should you do if you're a newbie then
what should you do if you're a pupil and
then what should you do if you're a
specialist on good forces right so I
will not be just talking about the
topics that you should learn I will also
be giving you tips along the way that if
you are in this rating range what are
certain tips for you so just watch every
single minute of this video very very
attentively make notes of it if you want
to so let's get started by talking about
what should you do if you're a newb on
code forces so first of all you should
Master a programming language okay
become very very good at one programming
language but in that one programming
language you should be so good that if a
logic comes in your mind and if you want
to code it out you should be able to
implement 90% stuff on your own and 10%
of it you are allowed to Google next you
should learn about time and space
complexity because see if you talk about
data structures algorithms and if you
talk about competitive programming the
most important thing is not just writing
the code but writing an efficient code
how do you judge this efficiency you
judge the efficiency of your code
through time and space complexity next
you should learn about you know inbit
Stu stuff in your programming language
for example if you look at C++ there is
this thing known as C++ STL standard
template library now standard template
Library contains a bunch of functions
that you know help you implement some
stuff very very quickly similarly for
programming languages like Java python
there are their own resources now once
you've mastered a programming language
you know how to judge the efficiency of
your code and you also know some
important inbuilt functions in your
programming language this is the point
where you start focusing on maths now
for the subtopics for maths I would
recommend you to learn about basic high
school level math concepts like you know
hcf LCM primes divisors multiples right
you should also refer to this very
important topic of modular arithmetic
after you done learning these basic math
concepts right what you should do is
that you should Master this one concept
which is known as recursion okay
recursion is one concept that is going
to be used in a lot of topics as you go
forward so this is the entire set of
topics that you should learn as a newb
again a lot of importance on recursion
and a lot of importance on building the
fundamentals right now let me also give
you three important tips if you're a
newb on code forces the very first thing
is that don't run after topics there is
no need for you right now to learn
Advanced topics like greedy dynamic
programming graphs trees all of these
there will be a time when you will get
to learn all of these topics the second
tip is that you know you should focus a
lot on building your implementation
skills like if there is a logic that is
coming into your mind you should be able
to implement it easily right and the
third tip is that you know don't get
disheartened at this moment I understand
that when you're starting your
competitive programming Journey you will
see that everyone around you is doing so
well while you are stuck at this newb
rating range and you're not able to
progress but that's absolutely fine okay
right now just focus on building your
fundamentals and once you're done doing
that you will see that when you are
attempting quod forces contest you will
be able to solve problems right and you
will be able to get to a pupil range
very very soon now let's talk about what
are the topics that you should learn if
you're a pupil on code forces if your
rating on code forces is greater than
1,00 the very first most important topic
right now is binary search Advanced why
am I saying binary search Advanced and
not just simple binary search because
this topic also involves binary
searching on answer like you will see
that your answer in certain problems are
having a monotonic function right you
can study about all of these topics if
you don't know about them right now just
note it down monotonic functions right
but this is one topic that you should
absolutely Master right you should spend
a lot of time on this solve a lot of
problems even if you solve 50 problems
on binary search Advan it is going to be
absolutely worth it the next topic that
you should look at is number Theory now
while you were a newb on code forces you
would have learned the basic concepts
like primes divisors all of these things
but at this point you need to level up a
bit when you're pupil on code forces you
should focus on topics like C of
eratosthenes ukan algorithm these two
topics are very very important and you
will see that there are so many problems
which are just simple variations of ukan
algorithm and C fosis so make sure you
master these topics the next topic that
you should Master is prefix sums now I
know prefix sums looks like a very easy
topic but let me tell you there are so
many variations of prefix sums there are
so many variations where you know you
have to use a C++ standard template
Library function or a C++ STL data
structure in order to optimize your
prefix some queries so make sure you
solve a lot of variations on prefix sums
just knowing the basics of prefix sums
is not enough try and find a lot of
problems which involve variations of
this after you're done mastering prefix
sums the next topic that you should look
at is greedy algorithms again absolutely
very important okay because if you talk
about competitive programming it is not
just about applying standard data
structure standard algorithms into
problems a lot of problems are going to
be based on Grey ideas and this is also
going to help you in contest when you
look at the second problem or even the
third problem in most Cod forces contest
a lot of them are based on greedy ideas
now in terms of greedy algorithms there
are two things that you need to focus on
first is mastering all the standard
greedy algorithms okay there are going
to be a list of standard greedy ideas I
can even you know share some resources
in the description of this video you can
look at all those algorithms and master
them these are all standard greedy
algorithms other than that you also need
to solve a lot of non-standard greedy
algorithmic problems basically you go on
to code forces you know you put the tag
of greedy and you solve any random
problem in that problem you might
require a standard greedy idea or you
might have to think about a greedy idea
on spot right the next topic that you
should Master if you are either a higher
pupil or almost a specialist on code
forces is bit manipulation now I have
personally created a video around bit
manipulation tricks on the YouTube
channel of T eliminators so you should
check it out it contains around 10 very
very important bit manipulation
techniques right so make sure you check
that out and that would help you open up
your mind about bit manipulation now let
me also give you three important tips if
you're a pupil on code forces firstly is
to get into the habit of solving ad hoc
problems What are adhoc problems these
are problems which don't require a
specific topic but only a logical you
know mind like just looking at a random
problem you realize that okay it can be
logically solved like this but it does
not really involve a particular idea or
a particular you know data structure or
an algorithm so these are adog problems
get into the habit of solving these
random problems okay the second tip is
to get into the habit of absolving
contest what is the meaning of absolving
basically whenever you attempt a contest
after that you look at those problems
which you weren't able to solve and you
try to figure out the solution either
you do that on your own or you look at
the solution of those problems and try
to learn the concepts which are being
used in these problems the third tip
that I'm going to give you is to you
know give enough contexts like at this
moment I can understand that it gets a
little overwhelming that you're learning
so many topics but make sure that you're
not just learning you're giving enough
contest and you're applying those
learned Concepts in contest problems
right because just learning a topic is
not enough you need to solve problems on
it and you need to solve problems on
those topics within contest now in case
you are somebody who requires some
support in order to learn all of these
topics in a structured manner then let
me tell you about my course called tle
eliminators that I've been running from
April 2021 so it's been 3 years since
I've been running that course we have
taught more than 5500 programmers
through that course already now this
entire course you know is divided into
four levels so for somebody who is at a
particular level in their competitive
programming Journey they can choose to
join a level and learn only those
relevant topics so first of all you get
live classes on all of these topics
right every single week we have around
one to two live Theory classes and we
teach you all of these Topics in a very
structured manner secondly we provide
you with curated practice problems on
all of these topics that we've taught
you for example if I teach you dynamic
programming for maybe 3 weeks then in
these three weeks I am going to give you
two to three problems every single day
now in case you're stuck on any practice
problem from the course you get
dedicated video solution where we talk
about the exact intuition involved how
do you think apart from this if you're
stuck on any practice problem from or
outside the course we provide you with
instant doubt support now what happens
in doubt support is that we have a team
of around 30 to 40 experienced
competitive programming mentors these
mentors are already experts and
candidate Masters on code forces and
they help you solve these problems in
which you stuck like you could come up
with a debugging problem you could come
up with a problem in which you require
some hints and overall you know you get
to learn a lot from the experience of
these mentors and apart from that there
are other pretty cool features uh you
know you can go and check out our
website to explore them uh one thing
that I want to mention is that tle
eliminators is a live course right so
every 3 months we launch one single
batch and in one single batch we run all
of these level 1 2 3 4 parall so you
know you can go on to our website and
check out when is the next course coming
up and if you're interested you can sign
up for that let's talk about what should
you do if you're a specialist on code
forces now first of all before I talk
about all the topics that you should
learn let me congratulate you if you've
become a specialist on code forces it
means that you've already beaten 90%
people in India okay now that's a big
number because what this means is that
if you were just targeting competitive
programming for probably placements or
internships if you're going to sit in an
online coding test you are going to
perform better than 90% people in India
the very first topic that you should
learn as a specialist is two pointers
and and sliding windows so two pointers
is one technique you know that can help
you optimize a lot of your binary
searching ideas like most of the binary
searching problems that you solve on
arrays and subarrays you will see that
they can be converted into two pointers
and they can be further optimized the
next topic that you should learn is
Advanced number Theory now if you've
become a specialist I am assuming that
you already know the basics of number
Theory you know Concepts like modular
arithmetic a bit about ukan algorithm a
bit about primes devisers C fosies this
is the point where you learn about FMA
theorem Oilers theorem right you also
learn about Advanced things like finding
modular inverse and this is also the
point where you focus a lot on
combinatorics because going forward when
you look at the third problem or the
fourth problem in code forces contest a
lot of problems are based on
combinatorics the next topic which is
the most important in competitive
programming after binary search is
dynamic programming okay this is one
topic that you should Master you cannot
call yourself a competitive programmer
if you're not good at dynamic
programming because I can tell you that
you know if you're solving a random
problem on code forces the chances that
it is based on a dynamic programming
idea are insanely High okay and if
you're a specialist on code forces don't
expect yourself to become an expert if
you cannot Master dynamic programming so
spend a lot of time on dynamic
programming make sure you solve you know
at least 50 to 100 problems on this
topic you can start by you know looking
at standard uh dynamic programming
problems this you can find on CSS
problem s and also on code forces blogs
once you mastered the standard dynamic
programming problems go on to code
forces start solving random DP problems
put a rating filter of 1 1600 or 1,700
on code forces and apply you know the
problem uh topic tag of dynamic
programming and start solving a lot of
problems because mind you as you go
forward if you look at graphs if you
look at trees if you look at other
Concepts you will see dynamic
programming being used extensively right
so make sure you master this topic right
now itself and when you are doing
dynamic programming also you know focus
a bit on DP with bit masking and now I'm
going to mention some topics that even
if you don't do it's fine but if you do
them then the chances of you becoming an
expert become even higher the very first
topic is graphs now I am not asking you
to learn Advanced graph algorithms and
solve very Advanced graph problems no
learn about depth for search breadth for
search connected components how you can
apply shortest path algorithms try to
solve a lot of basic graph problems
basic graph problems means they involve
basic ders Sals they involve basic
properties of graphs after you're done
learning the basics of graphs also learn
the basics of trees because nowadays it
is getting more and more common that you
will find uh you know trees problems
being asked in the third or the fourth
problem in a lot of code forces context
so learn about the basics of trees uh
what comes in the basics first of all
basic traversal like depth for search uh
you know handling some subtree queries
like uh pre-computing some information
for every single subtree of a tree then
learn about binary lifting binary
lifting is very very important it helps
you calculate stuff like lowest common
ancestor of two nodes right and it also
helps you do a lot of other stuff if you
want to go a bit higher and if you want
to go and learn some more advanced
topics I would recommend learning about
segment or learning about any you know
range query data structure like fenry or
maybe Spar stles like you can learn the
basics of these you don't have to go
into the depth of them again now let me
give you some tips if you've already
become a specialist on code forces the
very first thing is to start proving
your approaches now you can't be in that
mindset that I am going to guess an
approach and I'm going to just submit it
on code forces and expect it to pass no
that's not going to happen start proving
your approaches when you're thinking an
approach before coding it make sure you
know why it works the second tip that
I'm going to give you is to start
reading start reading code forces blogs
or blogs on other competitive
programming platforms start reading
blogs on CP algorithm's website at this
moment you should try and become a lot
more independent like you can go for
video Solutions you can go for paid or
free courses but if you go for reading
that is going to help you a lot because
going forward when you become expert or
even if you become a candidate Master
you are not going to find enough
resources to learn Concepts you are
going to have to refer to code forces
blogs you are going to have to refer to
editorials of problems right so get into
the habit of reading and don't get into
the habit of Simply watching a video
solution the last tip that I want to
give you as a specialist is to avoid
learning irrelevant topics what are
those irrelevant topics these are things
like you know uh Cent decomposition on
trees heavy light decomposition on trees
learning about KMP algorithm learning
about Z algorithm and you know learning
about Advanced things like flows square
root de composition these are are things
that you don't need in order to become
an expert now let me mention some
resources that you can refer to in order
to become an expert and learn these
topics the very first resource is CP
algorithms this is one thing that you
cannot ignore another thing that I would
recommend you is to start solving CSS
problem set so CSS problem set contains
you know a bunch of topicwise problems
and these are very standard and the most
important problems for every single
topic so if you're learning dynamic
programming for example go and start
solving problems on the CSS problem set
if you're learning about graphs or if
you're learning trees there's an entire
section for all of these topics so go
and start solving problems on CSS
problem set if you're a new or a pupil
on code forces you might not find
relevant topicwise problems on CS
problem set so for this there is an
entire section on introductory problems
go and solve that entire section there's
an entire section of searching and
sorting go and solve this entire section
of searching and sorting when you come
to the specialist rating range this is
the point where you can look at specific
topics like dynamic programming graphs
trees range queries right and one more
thing that I want to recommend in this
entire journey of you becoming an expert
is that if you are xrated on code forces
if your rating is let's suppose 12200
Target problems from x - 200 to x + 200
based on code forces difficulty so if
you have 1200 on code forces solve
problems from 1,000 rating all the way
up to, 1400 on COD forces now if you're
looking for a resource to you know solve
rating wise problems then you can refer
to my cp31 sheet this is a resource that
I've constructed by spending 80 plus
hours reading 50 00 plus problem
statements and handpicking only those
problems which are the most interesting
and the most important for Ratings from
800 all the way up to 1600 on code
forces so that was it for this video
guys I hope you found it insightful and
you now have a structured way to go from
either newb pupil or specialist to an
expert rating on COD forces in case you
want to get more depth on you know uh
what are the subtopics that you should
be learning for every single topic here
I have made a dedicated video for that
and you can check that out as well
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