/*

*
*
******************************************** Licence
*******************************************
*
*
* This File is part of Algorithms Arabic Video Series
*
* Made By Eng Mostafa Saad, Teaching Assistant in FCI - Cairo University
*
*
*
* Available at My YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/nobody123497?
feature=mhee *
*
*
* Feel free to make use of it at anytime, for any reason, in anyway, without any
obligations. *
*
*
*
*
* In case of finding a mistake, kindly notify me at: mostafa.saad.fci@gmail.com
*
*
*
* Mostafa Saad Ibrahim 2013
*
*
*

***********************************************************************************
*************
*
*
*/

--------------------------------------------------Tackling a problem
-----------------------------------------------------------

Before tackling a problem you should be

Ready / Relax
Active as if you are in a conest
Challenge Spirit
Don't rush / Don't panic
Check your watch - Monitor your progress

We could think in Solving a problem as stages

1- Reading and correctly "understanding" problem statement
2- "Thinking" in a solution -> Verifying it
3- Coding
4- Debugging if necessary
5- Testing

Hence your overall performance depends on performance in every stage.

The more better in one of stages, the better overall performance.
 Then, your practice plans must care with all the stages.

Always measure time you do for every phase, this will help you know your
problems

The training must be varied and you should focus on your weaknesses.

Another dimension for performance is your speed.

--------------------------------------------------Reading problem statement

-----------------------------------------------------------

Although we read it fast, it is one of popular reason for failure!

The best way to avoid that is to be organized - to have a DISIPLINE during
reading: a systematic way of reading

1- Read the problem slowly and think in each statement.

1.1- Make sure every statement does not conflict what you overall understood
1.2- Re-think in a statement, If it seems a tricky statement
1.3- Number All important details

2- In some problems, constraints are clear (e.g. topcoder & IOI), somes times they
are not.
2.1 Each time you read a constraint in mid of description, write it beside.
2.2 Never to avoid any constraints, especially unusual one (e.g. 2*(a+b) < c). Try
to know why such constraints.
2.3 Sometimes constraints make problem a special case of a general one. While
general may not be solvable, a specific one could be.
2.4- Ignoring constraints may push you approach problem trivially while it needs
careful work (n <= 10^18)
2.5- Ignoring constraints may push you approach problem complicatedly while it
could be solved trivially (n <= 10)
2.6- Sometimes constraints are not direct
2.6.1- Find triangle angle with 2 precision -> 360 * 10^2 (angle * 2^precision)
2.7- Sometimes more input space analysis is needed: Given a string of (a, b, c)
chars & length <= n -> we have 3^n possible string

3- Trace Samples as long as they are traceable

3.1- Many times students write solutions and find samples doesn't work. They have
to debug
3.1.1- Sometimes they have code mistakes and original idea is correct
3.1.1- Sometimes they have code mistakes and original idea has some flaws
3.1.1- Sometimes they have code mistakes and original idea is incorrect!
3.2- Sometimes samples are trivial and mislead you.

4- If text is not small, Re-read the problem statement once. Make sure you you have
the full picture.

5- Think in missed cases. Most of times authors don't put all basic cases. Think in
them.

6- Think in boundary & Especial cases. They are big source of WAs & RTEs
6.1 Think in the smallest boundaries (e.g. n = 0, 1, 2 - R*C = {1*1, 1*2, 2*1, 2,
2} - str = "", str = "a", ...)
6.2 Think in the largest boundaries (e.g. n = MAX, array is fully, string has max
characters, ...)
6.3 Think in especial cases (array filled with zeros, ...)

7- Tips
7.1- NEVER to assume something not mentioned.
(E.g. given a <= 100 - then a may be < 0 - Find count in range [a, b] - then
b may be < a)
7.2- Make sure that you know exactly what is output and its "format"