Are you the best collegiate programmer in New York City?

Do you like to solve problems?

          Do math and science interest you?

                    Do you spend your time online looking for the next challenge?

                              Would you like to win $5,000?

DoubleClick™, a leading New York high technology company, is conducting a fast-paced and challenging programming tournament in order to identify the most talented technologists at two of New York City's finest universities - Columbia and NYU - and to answer the question, "Who is the best collegiate programmer in New York City?" The competition will involve problem-solving skills, programming competency and composure in head-to-head competition.

For those who make it to the finals, the bounty is great: cash prizes, recognition among peers and the satisfaction of having beaten hundreds of other top collegiate technologists. The finalists will be hosted at DoubleClick headquarters in NYC, recognized on the tournament website and in a press release announcing the winners.

Technology is the lifeblood of DoubleClick. The Internet has only just begun, and DoubleClick will shape the future of technology in the virtual world. DoubleClick's technologies have become the leading tools for campaign management, online advertising, email delivery, direct marketing, marketing analytics, and data management. DoubleClick believes the future of technology lies in the minds of some of the best and brightest students Columbia and NYU have to offer. The DoubleClick 2004 Coding Challenge, Powered by TopCoder®, is your chance to prove you are the best!

What language do you speak?
Participants will have their choice of using Java, C++, C# or VB.Net - the most relevant of current software development technologies - to solve complex algorithmic problems.

Here's what you do
Download the DoubleClick 2004 Coding Challenge Qualification Round Competition Manual.

The tournament is a timed contest where all participants compete online to solve the same problems under the same time constraints. Here's how it works:

• Download the Arena
  The TopCoder® Competition Arena (a Java Applet) is where the action takes place. Download the applet, read the problem statements, then code solutions, compile and test those solutions and submit your code for points. To get acquainted with the environment, you can download the arena to work on sample problems prior to the competition.
• Coding Phase
  At the designated date and time, competitors enter the Arena and are placed in groups of ten into virtual rooms. All participants are presented with the same set of three problems of escalating difficulty. Beat other students from Columbia and NYU by creating an accurate solution in the shortest amount of time. A leader board will track the points along the way.
• Challenge Phase
  The Challenge Phase is introduced during the Main Competition Round. It allows competitors to view each other's code and try to "break'" that code. You challenge another competitor's code by passing test cases against it, with the hope that you can make it fail. Breaking another developer's code is the most direct form of competition for a programmer. In this phase, precious points are awarded or taken away based on the success of the challenges.
• System Tests
  Within minutes of the end of the Challenge Phase, TopCoder's automated, objective system tests determine the accuracy of all submissions and award final points to all competitors. The assessment of your performance and presentation of stats is nearly instantaneous, as is the gratification of knowing how you did against this competitive field.

Ready to prove you're one of the best in NYC?
Registration for the DoubleClick 2004 Coding Challenge opens on February 2th and closes on February 15th. All competitors with positive points in the Qualification Round will be eligible to participate in the Main Competition Round.

The top 10 scorers from the Main Competition Round will be invited to compete for cash prizes in the Final Round being held at DoubleClick's headquarters on February 27th.

Prizes
All participants in the Main Competition Round will receive a "DoubleClick 2004 Coding Challenge" T-shirt. The cash prizes will be distributed as follows:

To find out more detailed information about the DoubleClick 2004 Coding Challenge, please read the Official Rules and Regulations.