C Coding Contest 2009
ALL KERALA C CODING CONTEST - 2009
The first ever such contest in Kerala !
Germination of the idea of a C coding contest
Images from the Prize Distribution cermony
Germination of the idea of a C coding contest
The department of Computer Applications jointly with Computer Society of India, Kerala Section, organized an “ALL KERALA C CODING CONTEST” during September - November 2009.
The contest was a unique initiative of the Department of Computer Applications of Vidya Academy of Science and Technology. The uniqueness manifested itself in the openness of the contest and in the fact that the participants were not required to be physically present at one place to participate in the contest. The event has been evaluated as a great success judged both by the quantity of responses it elicited and also by the quality of the submitted solutions.
The idea of the contest arose quite unexpectedly. It was a day of our routine Faculty Development Programme. All the faculty members had gathered in the Computer Lab of the Department for the Programme. But to the dismay of all of us, the member who had promised to present a topic excused out of the programme citing insufficient preparations. Then quite out of the blue, the Head of Department sprang up and presented a C coding problem for all of us to think about. Everyone agreed that it was a really challenging problem. It was then suggested that the problem be presented as a challenge to the entire student community in Kerala. A committee was formed to transform the suggestion into a reality. The Principal was approached for funds and the funds were granted readily.
Cash Prize
Prior to the publication of the problem, posters announcing the contest were sent to all professional colleges and Universities in Kerala. Posters were sent to selected arts and science colleges
The contest was to solve a given C programming problem. The problem was published on the website of Vidya Academy at 11.00 am on 12th October 2009. The participants were not required to come to Vidya Academy to participate in the contest. They were equired to solve the problem and submit the solutions as e-mail attachments to a specified emil Id. The solutions had to be received not later than 11.00 a.m. on 16th October 2009. The contest was open to all bona-fide students studying in engineering colleges/arts and science colleges/university teaching departments. It was announced that the ...
First Prize winner would be awarded a cash prize of Rs.5, 000/- and the Second Prize winner would be awarded a cash prize of Rs.2,500/-.
It was also announced that if there are more than two nearly perfect solutions, five of the contestants would be invited to Vidya Academy campus to make oral chalk-and-duster presentations of their solutions and prizes would be decided by an Expert Committee based on the quality of the presentations.
Shortlisted Participants
More than fifty students from various colleges in Kerala sent in their solutions and an equal number showed interest though they did not submit solutions. The Expert Group which evaluated the solutions very meticulously short-listed the following participants for oral presentation of their solutions at the campus of Vidya Academy of Science and Technology.
Falulul Abid K V
S6 MCA
MES College of Engineering
Kuttippuram
Hariharasuthan C
MSc (Biotechnology)
Sree Narayana Guru Institute of Science and Technology
Thekkethazham, N. Paravur
Midhun P G
S5 BTech (CSE)
Vidya Academy of Science and Technology
Thalakkottukara, Thrissur
Saranch S
S4 MCA
CHMM College for Advanced Studies
Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram
Tom Antony
S2 MCA
Sree Narayana Guru Institute of Science and Technology
Thekkethazham, N Paravur
Prize Winners
The programs and presentations were evaluated by an Expert Croup with Ms. Sunitha C, Asst. Professor in Computer Science and Engineering, as Chairman. The prizes were announced and distributed in a solemn function organized at 12.00 Noon in the Seminar Hall of the Department. Dr. S P Subramanyan, Principal, gave away the certificates and prizes. The following were the prize winners:
First prize:
Mr. Saranch S
CHMM College of Advanced Studies,
Varkala, Thiruvanathapuram
Second Prize:
Mr. Falulul Abid K V
M. E. S. College of Engineering
Kuttippuram
Third Prize:
Mr. Midhun P G
Vidya Academy of Science and Technology
Thalakkottukara, Thrissur – 680 501
and
Mr. Tom Antony
Sree Narayana Guru Institute of Science and Technology
Thekkethazham, North Paravur
Prize Distribution Ceremony
The prize distribution ceremony of the All Kerala Online C Coding Contest organized by the Department of Computer Applications jointly with the Computer Society of India was held on 20 November 2009. During the ceremony Dr. S. P. Subramanyan, Principal, gave away the prizes and certificates to the prize winners of the contest. Prior to the ceremony the prize winners made oral presentations of their solutions to the contest problem. The list of prize winners was finalized after evaluating the oral presentations also. The results were announced by Ms. Sunitha C, Assistant. Professor of Computer Science. Ms Sunitha was also the Chairman of the Expert Group which evaluated the solutions. Mr Shanil K. N., Lecturer in Computer Science, felicitated the prize winners.
Organizing Committee
Convener
Ms. Siji K. B.
Co-convener
Ms. Remya S Vimalan
Members
Mr. Dijesh P
Ms. Jisha Jose Panackal
Ms. Salkala K S
Ms. Reji C Joy
Mr. Manesh D
The Problem
Write a C program to accept at run time any mathematical expression f ( x ) in one variable x which can be expressed in the syntax of C. The function f ( x ) is to be inputted in the form of a string. The programme should also print a table of values of the function f ( x ), for all values of x in the interval from a ( starting value ) to b (ending value) in increments of h. The values of a, b, and h are to be inputted at run time.
Sample output
The output should be in the following format:
Enter the expression f(x) : x*x-1
Enter the value of a : 1
Enter the value of b : 10
Enter the value of h : 2
Table of values of f(x)
----------------------------------------------
x f(x)
----------------------------------------------
1 0
3 8
5 24
7 48
9 80
----------------------------------------------
In the above sample output, the underlined characters are typed by the user. In stead of the expression x*x-1, the user must be able to input any of the infinite number of mathematical expressions that can be constructed using the C syntax. The following expressions illustrate the possibilities:
(3*x+1)/(x*x-x-2)
sin(x)+cos(x)
(x*(x*log(1+5/x)+sin(1+atan(x)))/(x+x/sqrt(x*x+exp(x)))
The Solution
All members of the Expert Group which evaluated the submitted solutions were unanimous in their opinion that the solution submitted by the contestant who eventually won the First Prize after the oral presentation had used a very brilliant and clever idea, though not original, to solve the problem. The Group had anticipated such an approach. However, the Group also opined that the submitted solution did not fully solve the problem posed. The Group members were also unanimous in their view that the solution be not published as it may wrongly be construed as the fully correct solution of the problem. The Oragnising Committee therefore decided to withhold publication of the prize-winning solutions.
Rules and Regulations
1. The code should be prefaced with the following comment lines with the required information:
/*
Name of Participant
Class in which studying
Name of College
Address of College
Address for communication
e-mail id
Contact Phone No.
Operating system and compiler used
*/
2. The programme should be named contest.c.
3. The programme should be compilable using standard C compilers (Linux/Windows). No other external header files are allowed.
4. The program code should be submitted as an email attachment to vidya_mca_c_contest@vidyaacademy.ac.in not later than 11 a.m. on 16th October 2009.
5. If there are more than one nearly perfect solution five of the participants will be invited to Vidya Academy campus for making an oral chalk-and-duster presentation of their program.
6. While coming for the presentation, the participants should produce a certificate from the head of the department to the effect that the participant is a bonafide student of the affiliated college / university teaching department.
7. The following factors will be considered in awarding the prizes:
i. The logical accuracy of the program; whether the program performs the intended task without errors.
ii. The programming style: aesthetics, clarity, documentation, maintainability, etc
iii. The time of receipt of solutions; in case of nearly identical solutions, the one received earlier maybe considered first for a prize
iv. Oral presentation
8. The contestants selected for oral presentations will have to make their own arrangements for travel to Vidya Academy for participating in the oral presentation. The date of the presentation will be communicated to the selected candidates at the earliest.
9. In all matters related to the contest , the decision of the organizing committee will be final.
Images from the Prize Distribution ceremony
First Prize Winner Saranch S receiving the Certificate and cash prize from the Principal.
ALL KERALA C CODING CONTEST
2009
Prize Distribution ceremony
20 November 2009
Ms Sunitha C, Chairperson, Expert Group, explaining the rationale of the choice of prize winners.
Third Prize Winner Midhun P G receiving the Certificate and cash prize from the Principal.
Second Prize Winner Falulul Abid K V receiving the Certificate and cash prize from the Principal.
An attentive audience
