Students to compete in world ‘Battle of the Brains’ competition
Elon University will send three teams to the regional round of the world's most prestigious computer programming contest to be held at Duke University on Saturday. The Association for Computing Machinery's International Collegiate Programming Contest draws the best and brightest information technology students from universities across the world to participate and test their problem-solving skills.
IBM has sponsored the event since 1997, and this year marks the 34th annual contest. The event is expected to include tens of thousands of students from universities in 90 countries and six continents.
Junior Tyler Anderson is one of nine students who will represent Elon at the regional competition. Anderson participated in the event last year and said it was an eye-opening experience.
"I had never been to a meeting of so many people who all had the same interests as me in the realm of computing," Anderson said. "The contest was challenging but very fun, and spending the day with my fellow computer science classmates was a blast."
During the contest, students work in teams of three to solve complex, real world problems. The team that solves the most problems correctly in the five-hour deadline at the regional competition will win a trip to this year's world finals in Harbin, China this February.
"The main draw of participating in these programming contests is being able to practice problem-solving skills," Anderson said. "In the field of computer science, half the battle is figuring out the best or most efficient way of programming for a certain problem."
Joel Hollingsworth, a computing sciences senior lecturer, is the coach of all three of Elon's teams. He said participating in the competition allows students to apply classroom knowledge to practical scenarios as well as compete against and meet students in the same field from other universities.
Hollingsworth said the opponent aspect gives the contest an edge, as each team tries to solve the problems the fastest.
Both Anderson and Hollingsworth credits teamwork as one of the most important parts of the competition. Teams of students must share one computer, so it is crucial they work cooperatively and effectively.
"The practice work and experience of working in a small team to solve these programming problems are great for preparing students for the workplace," Anderson said. "A lot of the industry uses a paired programming system, where programmers work in teams and need to learn to work together well to solve problems. These contests are a lot like the work place environment, where teams work under deadlines to reach certain goals that their projects require."
Students who partake in the ICPC gain experience, as well as a great addition to their resume, Hillingsworth said. Companies such as IBM often hire many of their employees straight from the ICPC.
"Former students who have participated are now in hiring positions," Hollingsworth said. "It shows students enjoy what they're doing outside of class and that they want to be challenged."
Doug Heintzman, director of strategy for IBM and sponsorship executive of the ICPC, said the contest continues to grow as more people become aware of it, he said. The ICPC has grown by more than 800 percent, and this year there are expected to be students from 1,800 universities worldwide.
"It shines a bright light on the best elite problem solvers and the future generation of employees," Heintzman said. "These people have the potential to make really significant contributions in information technology, contributions to the welfare of humanity."
The 100 regional champions who earn a spot on the world finals roster will compete for scholarships, awards and recognition at the world's most prestigious "Battle of the Brains."
Updated November 3, 2009
