Competition Rules - May 15, 2008

Basic Rules

1. Each team must consist of one to three students currently enrolled at the high school they represent.
2. Each team will be asked to solve the same set of problems.
3. Only fully complete and valid solutions will be credited to a team. Partial solutions are worth no points.
4. A faculty advisor must accompany the team(s) from each school.
5. There will be no communication between the teams during the competition. Except in the case of an emergency, there will be no communication with the team’s faculty advisor. Communication via/with newsgroups, email, websites, or non-team members is prohibited and will result in disqualification.
6. Any modifications of system parameters will result in disqualification.
7. Participants are NOT allowed to bring any reference material; computer disks or software libraries on floppy disk or CD ROMs; or to download anything during the competition. On-line help is available for each development environment.
   
8. Each team will be assigned an area where the members may work out algorithms and discuss problems. Scrap paper and pencils will be provided.
9. All solutions must be coded using text files for input and output. The solution’s output must strictly follow the format of the sample output provided with each question.
10. Each team will submit problem solutions in the form of source code. Solutions will be stored in the team's folder on the St. Joseph's College server. Access to the team's folder will be granted at the beginning of the competition and will be revoked at the end of the competition. Procedures for submission will be explained and reviewed during registration and the practice session.

Grading System

1. The contest will consist of four problems of varying degrees of difficulty. Problems will be assigned different point values in accordance with the problem’s level of difficulty.
2. A solution will be deemed correct if for any set of valid inputs, it produces the correct output (in both content and location).
3. To be considered, teams must register a solution with the judges (or referee) prior to or at the end of the competition. Solutions which are not correct will result in a deduction of 1/2 the assigned point value.
   
4. The team with the highest point value at the end of the contest will be declared the winner. A runner up and third place prize will be awarded to the teams with the second and third highest point totals.
5. Teams must complete at least one problem to be considered for first, second or third place.
6. In the event of a tie, the team whose solutions were submitted first (according to the source code "last modified" timestamp) will be declared the winner.
7. The decision of the judges will be final.