Contest Rules

1. Overview

The Rayan World Finals is an individual programming contest. The objective is to solve as many algorithmic problems as possible within the contest duration, which is 3-4 hours.

2. Contest Conduct

2.1 Problems

• The contest will feature 6 to 8 problems.
• All problems will be posed in English.
• Problem statements will be made available on paper as well as electronically at the start of the contest.

2.2 Allowed Materials

• Contestants may not use the internet or any external communication tools.
• No external libraries or online tools may be used.
• Each contestant may bring 25 pages of reference materials (single-sided, letter or A4 size) to the contest. The materials must be put on the desk during the practice contest.

2.3 Submissions and Judging

• Each submission is judged as Accepted (AC) or Rejected.
• Rejected submissions will be marked with one of: Compilation Error (CE), Runtime Error (RTE), Time Limit Exceeded (TLE), Wrong Answer (WA).
• Contestants will receive immediate feedback after each submission.
• Notification of accepted submissions may be suspended near the end of the contest to keep final standings confidential. Rejected-submission feedback will continue until the contest ends.

2.4 Communication

• All official communications during the contest will be in English.
• Contestants may submit clarification requests if they believe a problem statement contains an ambiguity or error.
• If the judges agree that an ambiguity or error exists, an official clarification will be broadcast to all participants.

3. Computing Environment

• Each contestant will be provided with one computer. See the Contest Environment page for detailed information.
• The programming languages available include C++, Java, and Python 3.
• Contestants may not bring their own computers, computer terminals, calculators, or other electronic devices to the contest area.

4. Scoring and Ranking

4.1 Scoring

Judges determine the correctness of submissions. Contestants are ranked by:

1. Number of problems solved (more is better).
2. If tied, lowest total time (less is better).
3. If still tied, earliest time of the last accepted submission.

4.2 Time Calculation

The total time is the sum of times for all solved problems. For each solved problem the time is:

• Elapsed minutes from contest start to the first accepted submission for that problem, plus
• 20 penalty minutes for each rejected submission (WA, TLE, RTE) made before the accepted run.
• Compilation Errors (CE) do not incur penalty minutes.
• Unsolved problems do not contribute to total time.

5. Final Decisions

The Judging Panel has full authority to determine correctness and final rankings. The Contest Director and Judges may adjudicate unforeseen issues or adjust scores if necessary. All decisions by the judges are final.

6. Ethics and Fair Play

• Contestants must compete individually without assistance.
• Any form of plagiarism, collaboration, or cheating results in immediate disqualification.
• Contest logs and submissions may be reviewed after the contest to ensure integrity.

7. Awards and Announcements

Final standings will be revealed after the contest and verification of submissions. Awards will follow the official rankings determined by the judges.