User:AlanJohnZimmermann/Al Zimmermann's Programming Contests

Al Zimmermann's Programming Contests is an Internet-based series of computer programming contests that was established in July, 2001.

Overview
Al Zimmermann's Programming Contests (frequently abbreviated AZsPCs) is an Internet-based series of computer programming contests established in July, 2001 by Alan Zimmermann.

Each contest asks that entrants write computer programs to determine the inputs that optimize a given function. Usually the function to be optimized contains a parameter n in its definition. The values of n are specified and entrants must optimize the function for each value of n. For example, the Attacking Queens contest was a generalization to 3 dimensions of the Eight Queens Puzzle -- entrants were asked to submit the locations of the largest number of queens that could be placed on an nxnxn chess board without attacking each other. They were required to submit a solution for each size chessboard from 1x1x1 to 25x25x25.

Individual contests have ranged in duration from 1 week to 1 year. Most are 3 months. For the duration of each contest a leaderboard is available.

The contests do not run on a fixed schedule, but in most years there have been one or two contests.

The prizes are different for each contest -- cash, sculptures and crystal trophies have all been awarded at time or another.

To determine the winner, the scoring system gives each contestant a subscore for each value of n. The entrant's contest score is the sum of his subscores. Subscores vary in value from 0 to 1 and reflect how well the entrant has done on that value of n relative to the best submission for that n across all entrants. The entrant with the highest contest score wins.

AZsPCs maintains a Yahoo Group! where individuals can discuss individual contests. Typically, at the end of a contest the high scorers post a description of the programming algorithms they used.

History of implementations: (1) Email submission, no leaderboard, (2) Email submission, emailed leaderboard, (3) Email submission, manually maintained online leaderboard, (4) online submission, automatically maintained leaderboard.

Some notions on volume: First contest had 60 entrants. Recent contests have 400+ entrants. Number of entries (non-trivial entries?) (improvements?) per contest is ????.

Initially the contests were curated by Al Zimmermann, the site's creator. In 19xx he stepped away from the site and Jean-Charles Meyrignac temporarily took over his responsibilities. In 2001 Zimmermann returned to the site.

List of Contests
a table of contests which have been referenced in articles in scientific/mathematical journals and the nature of the contribution those contests made to those articles. Columns: Contest name, dates, number of entrants, prizes, winners (with links to their wikipedia articles). Maybe a short description for each contest?

There should also be notes about individual contests where appropiate. E.g., the Squares contest which had easily-discoverable optimal solutions, and the 2-part Pancakes contest in which contestants submitted problem pancake stacks during the first part.