CS 104c: Competitive Programming



Course Information


  • Instructional Mode: Face-to-face

Instructors



Teaching Assistants


UGCA: Michael Xiang
Office Hours: Th 5 pm, GDC basement

Welcome Message


  • Sign in to Canvas and confirm your registration for the course.
  • Check your grades regularly.
  • Confirm that you can access Ed Discussion on Canvas to post class questions.
  • If it involves something personal, like your grade, please make a private post on Ed Discussion.
  • Sign up for a Codeforces account.
  • Sign up for a GitLab account and clone the class repo to access the slides:
    • git clone https://gitlab.com/gpdowning-ut/cs104c.git
  • Sign up for a CSES account.
  • Sign up for a Zoom account. You must use your UT EID credentials. Ensure that you have the latest version of the app: 7.1.5

Communication


  • Please use Ed Discussion for all of your communication with the staff.

Catalog Description


  • Explores the algorithms needed to solve a given problem, reason about corner cases, and write correct implementations under time pressure.
  • Focuses on skills useful for international programming competitions, whiteboard job interviews, and programming tasks that require quickly solving challenging problems with creative use of algorithms.

Overview of the Class


Week Topic
1 Intro
2 Prefix Sums
3 Labor Day
4 Graphs, Search, Shortest Path
5 Binary Search
6 Greedy Algorithms
7 Midterm #1
8 DFS Backtracking
9 Dynamic Programming I
10 Dynamic Programming II
11 Midterm #2
12 Number Theory
13 Union Find
14 Fall Break
15 String Algorithms
16 Segment Trees
17 Final Exam

Lectures Online


  • This class is using the Lectures Online recording system. This system records the audio and video material presented in class for you to review after class. Links for the recordings will appear in the Lectures Online tab on the Canvas page for this class. You will find this tab along the left side of the navigation in Canvas.
  • The recordings are delayed for 7 days.
  • To review a recording, click on the Lectures Online navigation tab and follow the instructions on the page. You can learn more about how to use the Lectures Online system at http://sites.la.utexas.edu/lecturesonline/students/how-to-access-recordings/.
  • You can find additional information about Lectures Online at https://sites.la.utexas.edu/lecturesonline/.

Prerequisites of the Course


  • Computer Science 311 or 311H with a grade of at least C-, and registration or credit in Computer Science 314 or 314H with a grade of at least C-.


Grading Policy


  • We expect each student to abide by the University of Texas Honor Code: "As a student of The University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the university's core values and uphold academic integrity."
  • We permit discussing problem solutions with other students, asking others for conceptual help with a problem, looking online for tutorials explaining how to solve a problem, or getting help from a classmate debugging code you wrote.
  • However, all code you turn in must be your own.
  • The penalty for copying code (either from another student or the Internet) is an F in the course.

Assignments


In Class Number Drops Lates Makeups Platform Percentage
Quizzes 11 1
  • Not Applicable.
10%
Midterms
  • 2 problems of 5
2 0
  • Not Applicable.
25%
Final
  • 2 problems of 5
1 0
  • Not Applicable.
25%

Out of Class Number Drops Lates Makeups Platform Percentage
Codeforces
  • 1 problem of 3
11 0
  • up to two days
  • 10% per day penalty
  • Not Available.
10%
Contests
  • 2 problems of 8
5 3
  • Not Applicable.
  • Not Available.
10%
CSES
  • 1 problem of 3
11 0
  • up to two days
  • 10% per day penalty
  • Not Available.
10%
Find-the-Bug 11 0
  • up to two days
  • 10% per day penalty
  • Not Available.
10%

Grades


Letter Percentage
A 94%
A- 90%
B+ 87%
B 84%
B- 80%
C+ 77%
C 74%
C- 70%
D+ 67%
D 64%
D- 61%

HOP 2-9970 Classroom Recording


  • HOP 2-9970 prohibits students from recording class instruction (audio or video) unless a student obtains the instructor’s permission or Disability & Access has approved audio recording as an accommodation.

Course AI Policy Syllabus Statement


  • AI tools can be valuable resources for learning and improving your code.
  • However, in this course, you are expected to use AI as a helper, not as a coder.
    • Do use AI to ask questions about concepts, debugging strategies, error messages, or ways to improve the clarity, style, or efficiency of your code.
    • Do use AI to deepen your understanding of why your code works, or doesn’t, and to learn alternative approaches.
    • Do not ask AI to generate solutions, write complete programs, or provide code that you then submit as your own.
  • The goal is for you to learn to think and code independently.
  • There is nothing to lose and everything to gain by asking an AI not to do your work but to critique it instead!

Overview of all Major Course Requirements and Assignments



Canvas Assignments



Required Course Materials


  • No required materials.

Recommended Course Materials



Final Exam Date and Time


  • TBD


Notice of Academic Accommodations from Disability and Access (D & A)


  • If you are a student with a disability, or think you may have a disability, and need accommodations, please contact Disability and Access (D&A).
  • Contact and more details are available on D&A’s website: https://disability.utexas.edu.
  • If you are already registered with D&A, please share your accommodation letter with me as early as possible in the semester so we can discuss how your approved accommodations will be implemented in this course.

University Policies and Resources for Students Canvas Page


  • For a list of important university policies and helpful resources that you may need as you engage with and navigate your courses and the university, see the University Policies and Resources for Students Canvas page.
  • The page includes important safety information including the policy on carrying of handguns on campus, the language of the University Honor Code, Title IX legal requirements for Texas employees, and information about how to receive support through the office of Disability & Access, tutoring services, the Counseling and Mental Health Center, University Health Services, and other resources.

Copyright © cs104c, 2014-2026
Updated 23 Aug 2026