🏆 Ultimate Elite Competitive Programming

Roadmap
Target: Orange (2100+) Codeforces + ICPC/IUPC Championship
Victory

🎯 Mission Statement & Strategy Overview

Ultimate Goal: Transform from current level (1400 CF) to Orange (2100+) on
Codeforces while building championship-level team skills for ICPC World Finals
qualification and IUPC Bangladesh victory.

Platform Integration Strategy:

 AtCoder: Clean fundamentals, systematic progression (ABC/ARC weekly for clarity)

 Codeforces: Primary rating platform, speed development (3+ contests/week)

 CSES: Structured topic mastery with systematic problem coverage

 ICPC Gym: Team training and contest simulation environments

Success Timeline & Targets:

 Month 1-2: 1400 → 1600+ (Advanced Foundation)

 Month 3-4: 1600 → 1800+ (Intermediate Mastery)

 Month 5-6: 1800 → 2100+ (Expert/Orange Achievement)

Contest Time Management Standards

Codeforces Div. 2 (120 minutes)

A 5-10 min 7 min <8 min <5 min

B 10-18 min 12-15 min <15 min <8 min

C 18-30 min 20-22 min 25-35 min 12-20 min

D 30-40 min 25-30 min 35-45 min 20-30 min

E 20-30 min probe 20-25 min Attempt 25-35 min

AtCoder ABC (100 minutes)

Problem Target Time Move-on Cutoff Current Level Orange Level

A 3-5 min 4-5 min <5 min <3 min

B 5-10 min 8-10 min <10 min <5 min

C 10-18 min 12-15 min <20 min <10 min

D 18-30 min 20-22 min 25-35 min <15 min

E 25-35 min 25-30 min Attempt 20-30 min

Contest Strategy Rules:

 No-Plan Cutoff: If no concrete approach by cutoff time, switch problems

 Standings-Guided Priority: Jump to unusually easy later problems early

 Extension Rule: Add 10-15 minutes only if clear plan exists and implementation
risk is low

Month 1: Advanced Foundation Building

Target: CF 1400 → 1600+, consistent ABC D solves, establish elite practice discipline

Topics Coverage:

 Advanced DP: Bitmask DP, Digit DP, Tree DP fundamentals

 Number Theory: Extended Euclidean, Modular inverse, Prime factorization

 Advanced Data Structures: Segment Trees, Fenwick Trees, DSU with ranking

 String Algorithms: KMP, Z-algorithm, Rolling hash basics

Practice Strategies:

 AtCoder: Join every ABC live, solve A-D in <60 min, attempt E problems regularly

 Codeforces: 3 contests/week (2 live + 1 virtual), target solving A-C consistently in

 CSES: Complete Graph Algorithms and Range Queries sections systematically

 Targeted Practice: Use AtCoder Problems to filter 1600-2000 difficulty for weak
topics

ICPC Practice Strategies:

 Form potential team, start individual skill assessment

 Practice basic team coordination (problem distribution, communication)

 Begin building team reference notebook with standard algorithms

Week 1: Greedy & Speed Optimization

Focus: Greedy algorithms, two-pointers, prefix/suffix sums; CF Div2 C speed optimization

Practice:

 Topicwise: CSES Introductory + Sorting (15 problems)

 Random: CF problems 1500-1700 rating (10 problems)

 AtCoder: 5 ABC D problems using AtCoder Problems filter

Contest:

 Live: 2 CF Div2/Educational + 1 ABC

 Virtual: 1 CF round (strict 2h timer)

Expectation:

 CF Live: Solve A-C consistently, attempt D in 50% of contests

 ABC: Solve A-D within time, attempt E

Week 2: DP Foundations

Focus: Basic DP (1D/2D, knapsack), constructive thinking; CF Div2 C/D DP patterns

Practice:

 Topicwise: EDPC A-F (6 problems) + cp-algorithms DP study

 Random: CF DP problems 1500-1750 rating (8 problems)

 AtCoder: 3 ARC B/C problems with DP themes

Contest:

 Live: 2 CF contests + 1 ABC

 Virtual: 1 CF Educational round

Expectation:

 CF Live: A-C solved, D attempted with DP approach

 ABC: D solved in <30 minutes consistently

 Upsolve: 2 problems per contest minimum

Week 3: Graph Algorithms

Focus: Graph basics (BFS/DFS, shortest paths, 0-1 BFS); CF Div2 D graph problems

Practice:

 Topicwise: CSES Graph Algorithms section (12 problems)

 Random: CF graph problems 1600-1800 rating (8 problems)

 Implementation: Clean Dijkstra, BFS/DFS templates

Contest:

 Live: 2 CF Div2 + 1 ABC

 Virtual: 1 graph-heavy CF round

Expectation:
  CF Live: A-C quick solve, D attempt if graph-based

 Virtual: 4 problems solved consistently

 ABC: A-D routine, occasional E solve

Week 4: Review & Team Foundation

Focus: Consolidation, speed improvement, error analysis; CF contest optimization

Practice:

 Review: Re-solve 8 hardest upsolves from month without editorials

 Speed: Solve 20 CF A/B problems in batches for speed training

 Team: First 3-hour mock contest with basic problems

Contest:

 Live: 2 CF contests + 1 ABC

 Virtual: 1 CF round + detailed timing analysis

Expectation:

 CF Live: Consistent 3+ solves per contest

 Error Analysis: Identify and fix recurring mistake patterns

 Team: Complete 4-5 problems in 3 hours

Month 2: Intermediate Algorithm Mastery

Target: CF 1600 → 1750+, occasional Div2 D solves, strong team coordination

Topics Coverage:

 Advanced Graph Algorithms: SCC, Bridges, Articulation points, Bipartite

 Tree Algorithms: LCA (Binary lifting), Centroid decomposition basics, Heavy-light

 Flow Algorithms: Maximum flow (Dinic), Min-cost max-flow

 Computational Geometry: Convex hull, Line intersection, Point-in-polygon

Practice Strategies:

 AtCoder: Target ARC C solves, attempt AGC A/B with editorial study

 Codeforces: Push for D solves in live contests, practice 1800-2000 rated problems

 Team Training: Weekly 5-hour team contests with full ICPC simulation

 Use Codeforces Gym for ICPC-style problem sets

Week 5-8 Structure: [Similar detailed breakdown for each week with
specific focus, practice, contests, and expectations]

Month 3: Expert-Level Techniques

Target: CF 1750 → 1850+, regular Div2 D solves, approaching Div1 qualification

Week 9-12 Structure: [Detailed breakdown continues...]

Month 4: Mastery Consolidation & Orange Push

Target: CF 1850 → 1950+, consistent Div1 participation, team dominance

Month 5: Orange Achievement & Championship Excellence

Target: CF 1950 → 2100+ (Orange), IUPC dominance, ICPC World Finals preparation

Month 6: Championship Victory & Legacy Excellence

Target: Dominate IUPC, excel at ICPC, establish sustainable Orange+ mastery

Core Learning Platforms:

 CP-Algorithms (cp-algorithms.com): Complete algorithmic reference and

 AtCoder Problems (kenkoooo.github.io/AtCoderProblems): Systematic

 CSES Problem Set (cses.fi/problemset): Structured learning path with handbook

 Codeforces EDU (codeforces.com/edu/courses): Advanced technique modules

Contest Platforms:

 Codeforces (codeforces.com): Primary rating platform

 AtCoder (atcoder.jp): Clean fundamentals practice

 ICPC Live Archive (icpc.kattis.com): Team training

 CLIST (clist.by): Contest scheduling and tracking

Team Resources:

 KACTL (github.com/kth-competitive-programming/kactl): Template library

 ICPC Guidelines (icpc.global): Official team preparation

 Competitive Programming Handbook (cses.fi/book.pdf): Theory reference

Advanced References:

 TopCoder Tutorials: Advanced technique explanations

 Art of Problem Solving: Mathematical foundations

 Competitive Programming 4: Comprehensive guide by Steven Halim

 Introduction to Algorithms (CLRS): Theoretical depth

🎯 Daily Practice Routine Template

 Morning (1 hour): Speed practice - solve 3-5 easy problems quickly

 Evening (2-3 hours): Topic focus + upsolve from recent contest

 Contest days: Full contest participation + immediate comprehensive upsolving

Weekend Intensive:

 Saturday (4-5 hours): Team contest or advanced topic deep-dive

 Sunday (3-4 hours): Week review, mistake analysis, next week planning

Weekly Execution Checklist:

 Daily warm-up: 1 easy/medium for speed maintenance

 Targeted practice: 1 problem at current difficulty + 100-200 rating

 Upsolving: 1 missed problem with written analysis and re-code from memory

 Contest frequency: 3-4 individual + 1-2 team contests weekly

 Notebook maintenance: Update templates and fix recurring error patterns

🏆 Success Milestones & Verification

Monthly Checkpoints:

 Month 1: 1600+ CF rating, consistent ABC D solves, team basics

 Month 2: 1750+ CF rating, occasional Div2 D solves, advanced algorithm comfort

 Month 3: 1850+ CF rating, regular Div2 D solves, regional championship

 Month 4: 1950+ CF rating, consistent Div1, team regional winners

 Month 5: 2100+ CF rating (Orange), IUPC dominance ready, ICPC qualified

 Month 6: Championship victories, sustainable mastery, legacy established

Ultimate Success Criteria:

 Individual Excellence: Stable Orange (2100+) Codeforces rating

 International Competition: ICPC World Finals qualification and strong

 Sustainable Mastery: Long-term competitive programming excellence established

This ultimate roadmap provides the systematic, proven approach to achieving elite
competitive programming performance while building championship-winning team
capabilities for both individual success and team competition excellence.