GVSU hosts IBM-sponsored regional programming contest

For the first time Grand Valley State University is hosting the regional segment of the IBM-sponsored Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM ICPC).

The regional contest takes places Saturday, October 23, but media is encouraged to attend the practice contest, which will help to familarize students with the contest rules, on October 22 at 7:30-9 p.m. in Grand Valley’s Manitou Hall, room 207, on the Allendale Campus.

Student programmers from the School of Computing and Information Systems at Grand Valley will be participating as well as students from Central Michigan University, Indiana Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Saginaw Valley State University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Teams of three are given eight real-world problems to solve in five hours and must use skills based upon open technology and advanced computing methods. The winning team that finishes the most problems correctly in the least amount of time will win a spot on the World Finals roster.

The World Finals, held February 27-March 4, 2011, will take place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt where 100 world finalist teams will compete. This select group of programming students is chosen from tens of thousands of participants from universities in 90 countries and six continents.

For more information about the ACM ICPC visit http://cm.baylor.edu/welcome.icpc. To learn more about Grand Valley's participation contact Hugh McGuire, [email protected] or (616) 331-2915.