Notes to Judges

Read the Error Messages, Notes to Teams, and Notes to Sites right now. ... Done? OK.

The judges' diskette contains one subdirectory for each problem, which includes the description in HTML, the source file, the input and output files, and either an executable program or Java bytecode files. It contains a subdirectory called NOTES that includes the HTML source for these notes. It also contains a subdirectory called JUDGE that includes enhanced versions of the judging utilities used in the last several contests. If you do not already have a tried-and-true method for judging, you might want to take a look at them. Instructions are provided in Using the Judging Utilities.

All the textual information on the judges' disk can be viewed through a Web browser by accessing browse.html in the mcpc2001 directory installed by the judging utilities (or in the root of the judges' diskette).

Regardless of what judging method you use, remember the following (the included utilities take care of these details for you):

• If a program is correct, the team's output file will match the correct output file exactly. If the match is not exact, you will have to do a visual inspection to tell whether the problem is a wrong answer or a presentation error.
• Remove a team's diskette or write-protect it before judging to ensure that nothing is written to it.
• Always copy a fresh set of correct input and output files before judging a run, because teams' programs have been known to trash files.

As in recent contests,

• problem solutions are unique and must be formatted exactly, so output can be judged using a file comparison utility,
• all problems are judged with one test file (which of course will include multiple test cases), and
• all input files have sentinels that signal the end of the input, so it is not necessary for teams to detect end-of-file. (End-of-file handling differs between languages and sometimes between different compilers for the same language. It can cause problems for teams using tools that they're not used to.)

We think the easiest problems are Hangover, W's Cipher, and Transmitters, followed by Double Vision and Index Generation, and finally Image Perimeters and Split Windows. We don't expect too many teams to solve all seven problems but most teams should solve one or two.

Andy (the toolsmith) wrote Image Perimeters and Split Windows. Eric (the webmaster) wrote Hangover, Double Vision, and Index Generation. I wrote W's Cipher and Transmitters.

Eric will be your regional contact during the contest. If you have any questions or corrections you can send him email at EricShade@smsu.edu, or if it's an emergency you can phone him at 417-836-4944. Also check the Updates section of the web site periodically; if any files need to be changed, corrections will be posted there.