UBC Teams score big at regional competitive programming competition
Six University of British Columbia (UBC) teams competed and delivered outstanding performances at the recent regional International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC).
ICPC is a prestigious contest that draws participants from universities worldwide. This year, the Pacific Northwest regional event took place November 19, 2024, in five different site locations including Washington, Oregon, British Columbia (B.C.), Hawaii and California.
The UBC teams competed at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. and finished with excellent standings, one team scoring first in their division and the other finishing second in their division.
Under the direction of team coach Xingyu Zhou (a PhD student of UBC Computer Science assistant professor Daochen Wang) the UBC teams excelled, demonstrating skill, teamwork, and problem-solving prowess. Zhou’s mentorship was instrumental in preparing the teams for this renowned competition.
Zhou finds the role extremely rewarding. “I appreciate having the opportunity to help students grow and develop their skills. Watching them gain confidence and learn to collaborate effectively is deeply fulfilling. Seeing their achievements and knowing I've contributed makes the experience even more satisfying,” he said.
Professor Will Evans of UBC’s Department of Computer Science has been the team’s advisor for over 15 years but credits the coaches for bringing in exceptional results year over year. “The coach organizes all the practices, selects the teams, teaches approaches to solving contest problems, and coordinates travel,” he said. “I provide funding from the Student Development budget, send emails, organize the regional contest and support the coach.”
The teams competed in two different divisions. In Division 1, UBC's ‘Forgetful functors’ tied with Berkeley in the number of problems solved but finished second due to penalty minutes—a measure that adds time penalties for multiple submissions per problem. However, their performance earned them a coveted spot in the upcoming North American Championship (NAC). Team members include Phu Binh Nguyen, Joel Gunawan, and Rain Zimin Yang.
In Division 2, team ‘UBC2_D2’ achieved an impressive feat: they were the only team to solve all 13 problems in the 5-hour contest. Members included Kaiwen Liu (competing in place of Alan Zhou, who was ill), Gary Hilares Chavez, and Vittal Ayer.
There were four other UBC teams that competed at the event: ‘SoRry,’ ‘Sigmaforces,’ ‘vtubers,’ and ‘I miss her.’
Let's go all the way
The Forgetful functors will now advance to the NAC, where they will compete for a chance to represent UBC on the world stage at the ICPC World Finals.
This year's performance underscores UBC's strength in computer science and programming, highlighting the dedication and talent of its students. “It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students,” Zhou said. “Their success reflects countless hours of practice on problem-solving and collaboration, and their achievements make me very proud.”
For more details on the results, visit the official scoreboards:
Division 1 Results
Division 2 Results
UBC continues to cement its reputation as a powerhouse in programming competitions, and this year's results are a testament to their commitment to excellence.
Want to try your hand at competitive programming? No experience required! Reach out to the club on Discord at https://discord.gg/Z4vt3jkVfg.