The Best of the Best

Everyone knows that programmers from Chennai are the masters of software development. But who among them is the best? Verizon is on a mission to answer that question. Through the Verizon Coding Challenge, top software developers will have a chance to showcase their skills, earn recognition as the top developers in Chennai and win cash and other prizes. If you want to raise your profile by besting your peers, then this is the event for you. Verizon has teamed with TopCoder, the leader in online and onsite programming competitions and skills assessment, to execute this exciting event. Verizon may use the results of this event for the purpose of finding new employees for their Chennai Center.

Choose Your Weapon
Use Java, C++, C# or VB.NET to compete. The event will allow developers to choose from these four important programming languages, with no particular advantage given to any one language.

How It Works
The tournament is a timed contest allowing all participants to compete online to solve the same problems under the same time constraints. The tournaments are challenging and exciting for participants and spectators. The format is simple:

• Download the Arena
  TopCoder's Competition Arena (a Java Applet) provides the interface to the competition. Here participants will read the problem statements, code solutions, compile and test those solutions and submit their code for points. Prior to the match, you can practice on sample problems by downloading the arena ahead of time.
• Coding Phase
  At the designated date and time, competitors will enter the Arena just prior to "kick off". Competitors are placed in virtual rooms of 10 developers per room. All participants are presented with the same set of three problems of escalating difficulty. In a race to see who can create an accurate solution in the shortest amount of time, competitors try to out-think and out-code their opponents. The Leader Board tells the tale as competitors vie for the highest point total.
• Challenge Phase
  During the Challenge Phase, competitors view each other's code and try to "break" that code by passing test cases through submitted code, with the hope that the results are not satisfied by the software written. Breaking another developer's code is the most direct form of engaging competition for a programmer. In this phase, precious points are awarded or taken away based on successful challenges. A penalty exists for an unsuccessful challenge.
• System Tests
  Within minutes of the end of the Challenge Phase, TopCoder will determine the accuracy of all submissions and award final points to all competitors. It is the instant gratification of knowing winners, losers, statistics and one's own performance versus the field that makes TopCoder events unique and captivating.

Can Your Skills Carry You to November 7th?
Registration for the Verizon Coding Challenge opens on October 27th and closes on October 30th, 2003. Be sure to register early, as only the first 500 eligible individuals to register and activate their registration will be invited to compete in Round #1 which will be held at 7:00 pm IST (GMT + 5:30) on October 31st.

The competitors with the top 250 scores from the first round will advance to the Round #2 on November 3rd. The top 25 performers in Round #2 will be invited to compete for the large cash prizes onsite at VDSI Chennai on November 7th.

Prizes
The 500 participants in Round #1 will receive a "Verizon Coding Challenge" t-shirt to wear with pride. The shirt will be a symbol of your competitive spirit. You will be recognized as leaders in Chennai's software development community. Verizon will present the top 25 finishers with a Certificate of Merit for outstanding performance in the tournament. The top four scorers will receive the following cash prizes:

1st Place - 50,000 INR
2nd Place - 30,000 INR
3rd Place - 20,000 INR
4th Place - 10,000 INR

To find out more detailed information about the Verizon Coding Challenge, including a list of the prizes, please read the Official Rules and Regulations.