Algorithmic Battle | Gdańsk University of Technology

UNIVERSITY:

• RWTH Aachen

SUBJECT AREA:

• Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence

CATEGORY:

• Design Projects/Competitions

OFFERED TO:

• BSc Students, MSc Students
   

Description

This learning opportunity is a lab course designed for computer science students, aiming to improve their algorithmic knowledge and coding ability and focusing on aspects often ignored in other courses.

Groups of 6 students will be formed, which then will compete against each other in five different problems.

Each problem will focus on another aspect of the design of algorithms: thus likely some problems will be solvable in polynomial time, one will be a parameterized problem, one will focus on heuristics, in another the efficient usage of memory space will be crucial, some might be on graphs while others are string-problems

For each problem, the groups have to write an instance generator and a problem solver. The instances created by a generator of one team will then be given to the solvers of the other groups, that then have to solve the problem on the given instance (the so-called "battles"). We then will measure how large an instance can such that the solver is still able to solve it within a time frame. Points will be awarded to each group for their performance in the battles.

Each team will report about their strategies at the end of each task in a digital meeting.

Expected learning outcomes

Of course a good understanding of the stated problems and coding experience in general, but furthermore 

• To understand what makes a problem hard, how an instance should be designed such that the solver of other teams will struggle with them (for example, you might have heard that most SAT instances are easy to solve, but how do the hard ones look alike?) 

• The ability to do research about each problem; and to decide what is worth it to code yourself and what can be used or adapted (each generator and solver will run in a docker-container, thus we neither restrict the coding language nor the used libraries, tools or solver*)

• The importance of rigor testing, as other groups might try to catch your missed edge cases (like empty instances...)

• The ability to coordinate the group work within an international team
   

(*as long as the groups are legally allowed to use it and are able to make it run) 
 

Learning Opportunity Structure

In the first week, a simple problem will be stated as a warm-up task to get to know the system of the lab course.

Afterward, five problems for two weeks each will be stated, each focusing on different aspects of algorithmics. 

Type of Assessment

No test or exam;

Grading will be based on the individual contribution to the team, as visible mainly by the documentation and the git-history.

Quality Assurance

None or informal quality assurance mechanisms

Grading System

An individual grading on a scale with the grades 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3, 2.7, 3.0, 3.3, 3.7, 4.0, and 5.0; with 1.0 as the best grade and 4.0 as the lowest passing grade.
 

Grading will be based on individual contributions:

In the last years usually top grades were given to participants of all teams. A top performance in the battles is usually only an indicator,

that the team consists of more highly motivated participants than other teams, so the average grade is just higher. 

The individual grading does not benefit from a participant being in a stronger or weaker team in the battles.

How to enroll

• There are 30 places available.
• First come, first serve.
• This learning opportunity is not fee based

For participants of RWTH Aachen: Registration via the supra-system (there are different deadlines there!).

For Virtual Incoming Students from ENHANCE Partneruniversities: write an e-mail to the ENHANCE Team at RWTH: enhance@rwth-aachen.de and the corresponding institute: tcs-teaching@informatik.rwth-aachen.de using your student e-mail address. In this e-mail, please state

• your full name

• your home university

• your study program

Further Information

• The main website, on which the battles will take place: algobattle.org
• The course website for this winter edition and possible organizational updates: https://tcs.rwth-aachen.de/lehre/algobattle/WS2025/

Course page:

APPLY for Algorithmic Battle

Apply for Algorithmic Battle

ECTS: 6 ECTS, EQF 6

LANGUAGE: English

APPLICATION PERIOD: Aug 01, 2025 - Aug 31, 2025

PLACES AVAILABLE: limited

FORM OF PARTICIPATION: Online

TEACHING PERIOD: Oct 01, 2025 - Dec 19, 2025

DURATION: (e.g. 10 weeks, 10 meeting)

1 semester