SPOJ: Some very easy problems

Its been a month since I have started coding in SPOJ. There are over 5000 problems present there. Its really gets very tough when one tries to get some easy problems from that lot. So, I dedicate this post to beginners. Go for the below mentioned problems.

Some very easy classical problems:

TEST- This is the first problem I solved in SPOJ. I recommend the same for you. It gives a brief introduction of the whole environment. What you need to do is to accept and print the input by the user until you come across 42. The easiest problem at SPOJ and a confidence booster to begin with..!! ;)

ADDREV- Take two numbers as input. Reverse both. Add the reversed number. Reverse again. Simple..!! The thing you need to keep in mind is that you have to provide the number of test cases first. While taking the inputs you can print the result too. You need not store them and print later.

FASHION- Quite big explanation of the problem (a bit interesting too ;) ). The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you have to sort the degree of hotness of men and women and then multiply and add them up. If you do not sort them, it will give a WA.

MIRRORED- Print "Mirrored pair" wherever you confront "bd" or "db" or "pq" or "qp", otherwise print "Ordinary pair". Don't forget to print "Ready" in the beginning. You do not have to take the test cases as input here. Just end the input when you confront two spaces. I got an AC at very first attempt..!! Hope the same for you.. :)

NSTEPS- Analize the graph properly. Whenever x and y co-ordinates are even the corresponding output is (x+y) for input (x=y) and (x=y-2). When they are odd the corresponding ouput is (x+y-1) for input (x=y) and (y=x-2). You can also do the problem with a different approach too. You can form a series for the numbers, and hence, generate the output.

OFORTUNE- Common.. don't get astonished by the enormous length of the question. Try tackling the problem. It just needs six inputs and a simple interest and compound interest formula implementation thats it.. Try it.. You will gain a hell lot of points..!!

Some very easy challenge problems:

SIZECON- The difficulty doesn't lie in the problem statement. The difficulty lies in the choice of programming language. I managed to do it in 96 characters. Best solution in c++ has 70 characters in it. Perl language wins with just 6 characters..!!

BFWRITE- I have already written a post about this problem. Try learning Brainf_ck language and solve this problem too. Here's the link to my post.

More easy problems are being searched. Kindly mention some in comments if you confront one.. Here's my SPOJ handle.. vaibhav_pandey.

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Getting started with Project Euler

Hello folks.. After getting started with SPOJ and TOPCODER, lets get started with another fine programming competition which is Project Euler.

The first question which originates is.. why Project Euler??

My answer.. why not?? If you are interested in programming.. make yourselves interested in mathematical shortcuts and logics for solving problems too. Project Euler is a site that provides you problems that bind you to explore some unexplored areas of mathematics. Now, lets get started..

Steps:

• Get registered.
• See the problems from problems tag. There are more than 260 problems at present.
• Solving problems requires you either to build a source code that computes the asked value or to pick up pen and paper and start solving. My advice.. prefer the earlier one..!! :)
  

Your profile consists of the number of problems you have solved. Your ranking is based on levels. If you have successfully solved 25 questions you qualify to the level 1 and so on and so forth. On solving a problem its thread gets unlocked and you can check solutions of others in the languages they preferred. Thus, you can compare your code with others.

Your profile gets dissolved if no activity happens in 90 days of time. This happens if you are 0, 1 or 2 level programmer. Level 3 and level 4 programmers are granted immortality, thus, here lies the advantage of being superior.. 8)
So, get started with Project Euler and hone your programming skills..

To see my profile, first register to the site and then type the URL: http://projecteuler.net/index.php?section=profile&profile=vaibhav_pandey

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My experience with BrainF_ck Programming Language

Hi folks.. Last few days I worked a bit on BrainF_ck language. A nice language that may be used for encoding sort of stuff. What we code in it.. it might happen that we ourselves forget about it, such is the level of complexity of the language!!
The brilliant factor about the language is that it is just made of eight symbols in total..!! Surprised.. so was I..!! :D

Whole of the language depends on just an array. Every manipulation has to be done in the array using a memory pointer, which moves through the memory blocks of the array. Now, getting over to the practical implementation of the language. The eight symbols are:

> = increases memory pointer, or moves the pointer to the right 1 block.
< = decreases memory pointer, or moves the pointer to the left 1 block.
+ = increases value stored at the block pointed to by the memory pointer
- = decreases value stored at the block pointed to by the memory pointer
[ = like c while(currentBlockValue != 0) loop.
] = if block currently pointed to's value is not zero, jump back to [
, = like c getchar(). input 1 character.
. = like c putchar(). print 1 character to the console.
I made my first program for SPOJ challenge problem BFWRITE. Before going through the code I would give you the link of an online compiler for BrainF_ck language. I prefer BrainF interpreter. So now, here's my code:

1. ++++++++++
2. [
3. >+++++++>++++++++++>+++<<<-
4. ]
5. >+++++++++++++.
6. ---.
7. -.
8. -----.
9. >>++.
10. <+++++.
11. ++++++++++.
12. >.
13. <----------.
14. +++++.
15. ----------.
16. +.
17. .
18. -.
19. >.
20. <---.
21. ++++++++++++++++++++++.
22. ------------------.
23. ++++++++++++++.
24. ----.
25. --.
26. --------.
    

Looks quite difficult to understand but I'll make it simpler for you.

• First line assigns value 10 to a[0]
• Second line begins a loop checking value of current block a[0].
• Third line moves pointer ahead once(>) and assigns value 7 to a[1](++++++). The same line then again pushes pointer to a[2] and assigns value 10. 3 value is given to a[3]. The pointer returns back to a[0](<<<) and decrements the value to 9.
• In the fourth line.. loop goes on until the value of a[0] exhausts.
• Finally the values are.. a[0]=0, a[1]=70, a[2]=100, a[3]=30.
• The sixth line decreases a[1] by 3 and makes its value equal to 67. '.' prints the value 'S', ASCII code of 67.
• Likewise the further lines print the text:- 'P','O','J',' ','i','s',' ','i','n','d','e','e','d',' ','a','w','e','s','o','m','e'. Hence on our output comes as:- SPOJ is indeed awesome.
  

I further improved my code to 153 characters. Instead of making the array 70, 100, 30 in the beginning I made the array as 64, 32, 104, 112. Try it out yourself to optimize the code.

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