Google Code Jam 2012 – Round 1B Safety in Numbers

Just like last year, I decided to go for the ‘harder’ second question first – with the strategy of getting more points in a shorter time so I could get in the first 1000 and move on. My coding skills are much better this year, I thought, so even though this strategy failed for me last time – I thought it was the way to go. NOPE. I didn’t factor in that I decided to switch to C#. I spent alot of times with the basics of parsing the info and getting everything set up so that I could run my algorithm. Ran out of time. But I was able to go back and get the 1st problem again.

Safety in Numbers – I had 30 minutes left (after 2 hours fiddling with the second problem – Tide goes in, Tide goes out). And decided I had better at least solve one for my sanity. Came in just under the wire, it was a pretty easy one.

Perhaps I should try going back to Python in the final round 1 attempt? Nah, I gotta learn this C# stuff for work . Plus the third round 1 session is at like 3am here in Colorado. Next year I’ll be ready, I’m sure .