Al Zimmermann's Programming Contests
Find the best answers to one hard optimization problem per contest
Each contest poses one hard math or optimization problem, and you try to find the best answers you can. You submit answers, not programs, so you may find them any way you like. The site scores each submission at once and shows your place on the standings page.
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About Al Zimmermann's Programming Contests
The problems usually need clever search methods and heuristics, plus a lot of computing time. Contests run from about a day to several months. It suits experienced programmers who enjoy long, deep problems more than quick puzzles.
You need to register on the site to submit. Al Zimmermann runs one or two contests a year. The most recent one, Powerful Sums, ended in February 2026. Two more contests are listed but marked as postponed with no new dates.
On Breakpoint since 23 Oct 2026.