The tasks for the International Computer Science Olympiad challenge participants with creative and analytical problem-solving. Here’s a breakdown of the competition’s structure and contributors to the tasks.

Competition Days and Tasks

Day 1 – 25 September 2012

  • Tasks:
    • Odometer
    • Rings
    • Scrivener
  • Each task required innovative solutions, and hints were provided to guide participants.
  • Downloadable translations and hints were made available in ZIP format for accessibility.

Day 2 – 27 September 2012

  • Tasks:
    • Ideal City
    • Last Supper
    • Jousting Tournament
  • Like Day 1, participants could access translated materials and task hints to support their efforts.

Additional Resources

  • Contest data, including task directories and test data, could be downloaded as a comprehensive package (167 MB).

Task Creation and Credits

The Olympiad tasks were developed by a team of experts from diverse backgrounds. Here’s a snapshot of the contributors and their roles:

  • Task Authors:
    • Pebbling Odometer and Parachute Rings: Michal Forišek, with subtasks by Giovanni Paolini.
    • Crayfish Scrivener: Bruce Merry.
    • Ideal City: Aleksandar Ilić and Andreja Ilić.
    • Last Supper: Richard Královič.
    • Jousting Tournament: Luke Harrison.
  • Task Writing and Review:
    • Paolo Boldi and Roberto Grossi created the narratives for the tasks.
    • Final reviews were conducted by ISC members, Bernard Blackham, and team leaders.
  • Practice Tasks:
    • Olympic Pizza: Luca Wehrstedt.
    • Italian Queue and Touristic Plan: Giovanni Paolini.

Solutions and Systems

  • Solution Development:
    The solutions, generators, and graders were created by a talented team, including Matteo Boscariol, Massimo Cairo, Giovanni Campagna, and others.
  • Management Systems:
    • The Contest Management System (CMS) was developed by Matteo Boscariol and his team, with additional contributions from Bernard Blackham.
    • A dedicated translation system supported multilingual accessibility.
  • Task and Translation Managers:
    • Giovanni Paolini and Stefano Maggiolo led task and translation efforts, ensuring clarity and precision.

The competition benefited from the collaborative efforts of beta-testers and technical support teams. Special thanks to Giorgio Audrito, Alessio Guerrieri, Jakub Zíka, and others who rigorously tested tasks before the competition.

The Olympiad continues to set the standard for fostering young talent in computer science, offering participants a platform to challenge themselves and grow.

By Strategies