Students qualify for final stage of Programming Marathon

Students Amon Vanderlei, Lucas Fraga and Mateus Almeida were approved for the National Final Phase of the Programming Marathonpromoted by the SBC (Brazilian Computer Society). They qualified thanks to their good performance in Phase 1 of the competition, held on September 13 at Stone’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. The trio came 4th out of 40 teams from the state and will represent IMPA Tech in the next phase, which takes place in São Paulo in October.

Student Lucas Fraga celebrated his classification, which also marked his first participation in a marathon. “This achievement is the result of a long time of study and effort, and it motivates me to study more and more. We hope to represent Brazil well in the final, and that this is just the beginning of IMPA Tech’s achievements in the competition,” he said.

The teams are made up of three students, who try to solve as many of the problems provided as possible over five hours. All they have at their disposal is a computer and printed material. The trio from the Bachelor of Mathematics in Technology and Innovation got seven questions right and came 39th in the national ranking, out of 984 teams.

IMPA Tech professor Ueverton Souza is the coach responsible for the team and was pleased with the undergraduates’ result. “It was an excellent performance, especially considering that they have just finished their first term. Taking part in the National Final will motivate them and the other students to work even harder.”

The youngsters’ preparation began in the classroom, during their Programming I course. In May, IMPA Tech’s computer lab hosted the Phase Zeroa junior competition run by the SBC. The challenge brought together more than 70 undergraduate students, and that’s when the current trio was formed.

“We met in the library study room to solve questions, discuss algorithms and simulate the exam. At other times, I also tried to study algorithms and solve questions on my own,” said Amon Vanderlei, about the group’s preparation.

In June, Professor Souza also promoted the academic seminar “The Power of Programming Marathons”. Computer scientist Samuel Eduardo was the guest speaker and highlighted the benefits of competitions, encouraging student participation.

For the teacher, this is just the beginning of the youngsters’ journey in the world of marathons. “By reaching the National Final, we’re showing that they’re capable of going even further. If they’re dedicated and hone their potential, there’s a chance they’ll take part in the world championships,” he said.

From the National Final Programming Marathon, trios are selected for the Latin American Finals, the “Programmers of America”. From this stage come the teams that will represent Latin America in the ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Contest) World Finals.

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