Anyway, one extra remark for user 3M: yes, you are allowed to use external libraries in your programs AS LONG AS you include them in the program directory AND you comply to certain size requirements. This is clearly stated in the booklet you will receive on Saturday, but should you need more information, feel free to send email to us!

Our question is: Are we allowed to use external libraries(implemented/licensed by non team members) in our programs? An example would be the permission to use GNU libavl for a red black tree.

If there are any constraints about this subject please make it clear.

Thanks.

I think the contest is a great activity for recruiting members and also there’s no doubt that it will be extreme fun during those 24 hours

However, I’d like to express a slight concern of mine about the application process. The deadline for the application being coincident with the Thanks Giving Day was a little hard. Maybe we should not have waited for the last day of the application but after all I guess that most of the applications were submitted in the last two days

Since the contest is the first version, there were (and still are) many questions in both the competitors’ and the student branch officers’ minds and we were not able to get quick answers to these during the thanks giving holiday..

So I hope that this will be taken into account in the following years of the contest as we wish it to be a traditional activity of IEEE SAC Thank you in advance..

Also, I’d like to wish all the best for the contestants

Regards,

Yasemin Baser
Chair, ExeCom
IEEE Student Branch
Bilkent University
Ankara/Turkey

The timing may or not have an effect on your final scoring. You can solve problems in whichever order you want and submit as you go, or just submit them all togteher. However, timing of submissions gives us feedback on team performance, which can be used by the judging team

Proctors are asked to keep a record of the submissions, in case we need contrasting

And about discounting time, the idea is that as the competition is global it is really difficult to keep track of the different timezones, so all submissions are marked based on the GMT time, no exceptions. However, the timestamps are not as important as other aspects of the contest, like the solutions being correct, the code being stylish and the team having fun!

Thanks a lot for your participation! }:)

I have a few question about the timing. How is it supposed to be done?..will proctors do it?..do we have to send the solutions one at a time so that you get the timing?

if we start later (because we can’t stay at university during night) will you discount that period for the timing results?

Thanks,
Sergio.

Tala: yes, the Venue does not need to be inside the University. However, it is necessary for a person of the Proctor team to be present at all times. So, if you manage to convince your Proctors to go to a different place, you can certainly host your team there.

And of course, the students can leave the Venue for breaks, leg stretching, playing squash or any other activity they feel like doing. Relax a bit from time to time helps you think better! But be sure they are back to continue with the challenge! }:D

Shyam: Tell your students to join now! Members that join this time of the year will receive their 2007 membership card and be members some extra days! };)

Hope to see you all soon in the competition!

The begining time for the competition in our local time would be 2am and the university would not allow us into one of its labs under reservation till 7am and would provide the labs till 8pm which does not allow the students to use the full time span of the competition.

Is there a possibility for the competition to be held outside the university? if not, can the proctor forward the questions to the students at 2am?

Are the students allowed to leave the Venue for breaks?