START in plain english
So, what is this?
You pick a track. Or several.
We hand you a task, a dataset, and a program that already solves it. Correctly, and slowly, on purpose.
You write it again. Faster. Any language.
We run both on our machine, not yours, and compare. That is the whole event.
WHAT WINS the four things
What makes a great project
You are racing our slow reference program. Beat it on four things, and mostly, just be fast.
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T
wall time
0.50
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M
peak memory
0.20
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S
source size
0.15
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D
dependency weight
0.15
Each is a ratio against the reference. Wall time has no cap, memory stops at 50×, and source size and dependencies can cost but never pay.
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01 · Speed
Make it run fast. This is half your score, and there is no ceiling. Faster always wins.
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02 · Memory
Do not hog RAM. Buying speed with huge memory should cost you, so it does.
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03 · Short code
Keep it small. Long code can cost you a little. It can never earn you points.
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04 · Few libraries
Every library you lean on costs a little. Zero extra libraries is free.
Those four are the machine score, about two thirds of your total. Human judges read your code and your write-up for the rest.
Want the exact formula behind this? It is all in the Scoring section ↗.
COMPARE the shape of a winner
A strong entry vs a weak one
Strong
- Runs many times faster than the reference
- Light on memory
- Tight, readable code
- Few or no extra libraries
Weak
- Barely faster, or even slower
- Eats memory to buy that speed
- Sprawling, bloated code
- A long list of dependencies
RULES the only hard rules
Three things you cannot skip
Pass these and you get a score. Fail one and that track scores zero, and we tell you which.
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Correct
Your answer must match the reference exactly, byte for byte.
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In time
Finish within ten times the reference's time.
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Sealed
No internet. Read the data, write one file, and that is it.
TRY your move
Try it. It is free, and any language works.
Use the template, push to your branch, and your score shows up on the live board within minutes. No fee, no lock-in, and no maths degree required.