Interview with ACRush (Tiancheng Lou), the coding sensation!

25-year-old floor Sky City has "the first person of Chinese college students in computer programming" in the title, is also students who participated in the contest King called "floor leader."His legend has inspired many young students: from 2001 began to participate in computer programming competitions and even won the national first prize; 2004 selected for the National Team, the same year and was recommended for admission to Tsinghua IOI gold; began in 2008 Theoretical Computer Center first Asian Turing Award winner Academician Yao PhD; twice in 2007 and 2009 led to participate in ACM / ICPC World Finals and finished second. "Programmer" recently interviewed Wizards floor programming Amagi, let him share with us his legendary programming competitions road.

Reporter: please talk about your childhood experiences. Childhood who, what things affect you the most?

F, Tin City: a child, I am more playful, do not like to learn how. Later in the 8 years old, I went to Tsinghua University to follow their parents to play. Language highest institution in China, I do not consciously been infected, then gave himself set the first goal childhood - to put more effort in learning, strict demands on themselves, the future must be to Tsinghua University reading. This is a childhood influenced me the most is one thing. After a decade of efforts, now this wish has been fulfilled.

Parents are childhood who influenced me the most, they are particularly focusing on my psychology,
personality and other qualities of the culture, rather than confined to their studies.They believe the impact of high-quality far beyond the impact on people's ability to learn. In high school I was able to do so to participate in the programming contest, is also inseparable from the support of parents, but the premise is mathematics and other intellectual subjects not affected.Such competition does not belong to the college entrance examination subjects, and will inevitably have some impact on their studies, without parental support, participate in competitions this road is a dead end. Parental support I have been supported in the contest this road. Also, I like all kinds of chess, but also likes to play football. Chess can train a person's thinking, and exercise will train people thinking. I would consider a child to the other goal underlined the ball (the ball to the goal if it is, it must be more forward, the better), the angle of the goal and the ball is getting bigger and bigger or smaller and smaller; ball forward, this angle is the bigger the better, or the smaller the better. After calculations, I found the ball into somewhere angle is the largest, and then forward with will be smaller, but this place is the best place to shoot. Conclusion: the greatest angle away from the goal of distance.

Reporter: What is your time getting started with programming? In the process of learning to program, have developed over what applications?

Tiancheng Lou: I started learning programming from a high knowledge. Program for high school students, is indeed a special subject. I have developed applications impresses is Othello.Thousands of game time on the platform, which has 90 percent winning percentage. Othello was originally designed only search to six, it's "chess" is not satisfactory, then many of these black and white flag of the game can do this step. To break through this limitation, I have studied a variety of optimization techniques, game algorithm and search techniques, the algorithm is optimized so that the original search adds four, its computing power, the level of the game also will be improved a lot, and sometimes Many people are difficult to overcome it. Although this game does not like Kai-fu Lee then wrote Othello so good, but for me, that was quite rewarding. Also, I did a lot of other applications, but mostly to realize some of the key issues related to the core, and not as a product released.

Reporter: Do you participate in programming competitions for the first time what time?After the race experience, what are the challenges faced?

F, Tin City: 2006, my first time to participate in programming competitions, is Google Code Jam.Due to a mistake, I pass the title. After the contest, I was very frustrated.Later, under the encouragement of their parents and teachers, I decided to wait another chance to win a championship.

After two years, until 2008, I have the opportunity to once again participate in the Google Code Jam, and in the final eight minutes to catch up with the time I have two hours ahead of South Africa's 52 points, won the championship. For me, this contest can be counted as a real challenge.

Reporter: 2010 organized topcoder Open, you get a good result, which do you feel?

F, Tin City: topcoder Open is an annual worldwide programming contest, held in 2010 in Las Vegas. Two different games which I have attended the finals, which was similar to the 24-hour marathon race Coding Another is the algorithm programming. The competition is a pity that in the final stage of the finals made a small mistake, but the runner-up position slide. Later have the same opportunity to fight to get better results.

Reporter: Please talk about feelings now pursue a Ph.D. degree.

Tiancheng Lou: I started studying in 2008 Academician Yao led by Tsinghua University doctorate in theoretical computer center, is still in the stage of learning and improving, mainly based on a combination of research-based algorithm. In short, it is fortunate to have the guidance of Academician Yao, this time destined to become one of the most important in my life stage, I will carefully strive to do every day.

Reporter: In addition to the programming contest, before you also participated in many math competitions. Some people think there is not much programming and mathematical relationships, how do you see?

Tiancheng Lou: It may be the problems we encounter are not the same now. Problems I encountered more than focusing on the core part, tend to be more abstract, high efficiency requirements, to solve them, there must be a strong mathematical basis, from this requirement in terms of mathematics is still very high.

Reporter: What do you think programming contest? Programming for those who want to join the contest who have any suggestions?

F, Tin City: Programming Contest is a "fair, exciting, cool," the mental game, in addition to having fun, it'll also be a good exercise their thinking, honing tough easygoing personality.Participated in many competitions, I truly appreciate its cruelty. A full range of quality programming contest is a contest between the top players, even the poor state of the moment, can make you miss the championship final will be a few years in exchange for the long wait. But also quite exciting, fair. This is the main reason I like it. I feel very fortunate to come into contact with these programming contest. This game form, completely in line with my way of thinking. In the past decade, both in thinking on the cultivation of character or temper, I have it played an important role.

As for the proposal, like those of us who rely on rational thinking to solve the problem of people, usually too dependent on their computing power, do not believe something-set, experience and the like. And the fact is, there are some with experience in order to accomplish the things we are doing is not good enough, just take it for granted that the calculation is equal to all, the result is a far cry from the target. So there are a lot of non-intelligence factors also need to master. Otherwise, you may therefore lag behind the others. I suppose I have a suggestion.

Another suggestion is not to participate in the contest as a way to college. Competition can help you improve learning ability and overall quality, exercise thinking ability, can help you improve in other subjects, but usually must pay attention to good race relations and coordination among other subjects, other subjects do not fall, do not make an impact on competition Zhengye thing.