There are many different pleasures associated with computer programming. Craftsmanship has silent rewards, the satisfaction of building and operating a useful object. Excitement comes with a glimmer of insight that solves a previously inextricable problem. The pursuit of spiritual grace can turn a hacker into an artist. There are pleasures in being frugal, squeezing the last drop of performance from smart algorithms and tight coding.

The challenges of games, puzzles and problems in international programming competitions are a great way to experience these pleasures while improving your algorithmic and coding skills. This book contains over 100 problems that have arisen in previous programming competitions, as well as discussions of theory and ideas for attacking them. Instant online ratings for all these issues are available from two WWW robot review sites. Combining this book with a jury offers an exciting new way to challenge and improve your programming skills.

This book can be used for self-study, teaching innovative courses in algorithms and programming, and training for international competition.