We be jammin' - Google Code Jam returns

Posted by Bartholomew Furrow, 20% Tech Lead for Google Code Jam

In 776 BC, the Greeks established a competition to celebrate the potential of the competitive human spirit, and to honor the great god Zeus and the divine hero Pelops. Athletes of unmatched speed and mighty frame traveled from the far reaches of the Greek world for a chance to achieve eternal glory as champions at the Olympic games.

Coders: you have a similar chance to achieve supreme coding glory. Today, we're happy to announce that the Google Code Jam is back, and we're inviting coders from here and around the world to test their mettle, to push themselves in pursuit of the coder's ideal of excellence.

The contests are intense: you'll have two short hours to solve some fiendish algorithmic challenges. You'll read a problem, write your code, download our test cases, and tell us what you think the right answers are. If you're right, it's time to move on to another problem -- but if you're wrong, it's time to make a decision. Debug, or look for an easier challenge...?

Registration is now open, so you can find out more about the contest, and practice on some sample problems. Practice hard! If you make it to the top 500, you'll travel to the Google Sydney office for our semifinal round. If you're in the top 100, we'll fly you to our Mountain View headquarters to compete with the world's very best.