UMN team "Dijkstra" went off to the ICPC International Final in Tokyo over Spring Break 2007, as one of three winning teams from the North-Central regional contest of about 180 teams the previous fall. Team Dijkstra is Erik Shimshock, Zi Lin and Alex Dean. See the International Final link to the left for more details.

If you want to get involved in the Fall 2009 regional contest, contact the coach Carl Sturtivant (link on the left)., or show up to practice sessions on Fridays 4pm-6pm in EE/CSci2-170

A link to the Programming Challenges book website is at http://www.programming-challenges.com/ A good problem to "get your feet wet" is located at 3 N + 1 Problem

New Problems of Interest, Fall 2009
Recommended by Peter L.

Pascal's Travels	medium strength
Painter	medium strength
Copier Reduction	easier
Overflowing Bookshelf	easier
Netiquette	easier
Connect	harder
Time to Graduate	medium-hard
Consecutive Digits	medium-hard
Leapin' Lizards	harder

Problems Used Previously

Name	Link
1) Caterpillar	http://acmicpc-live-archive.uva.es/nuevoportal/data/problem.php?p=3724
2) Shuffle'm Up	http://acmicpc-live-archive.uva.es/nuevoportal/data/problem.php?p=3418
3) Making Book	2003 - problem 9
4) The Zipper	2004 - problem 3
5) Hie with the Pie	http://acmicpc-live-archive.uva.es/nuevoportal/data/problem.php?p=3725
6) Triangular N-Queens Problems	http://acmicpc-live-archive.uva.es/nuevoportal/data/problem.php?p=3572
7) Frugal Search	http://acmicpc-live-archive.uva.es/nuevoportal/data/problem.php?p=3598

Books that might help

The Algorithm Design Manual, by Steve S. Skiena	Amazon
Introduction to Algorithms, by Thomas H. Cormen, et al.	Amazon