Ad HOC 2026

Rules

1. Team composition. Teams can consist of 2 to 4 people. Full teams get priority if needed.
2. Eligibility. The contest is open to everyone, and all students are welcome.
3. Hardware. Each team member may bring and use one laptop.
4. Software and tools. Java, Python, and C++ are highlighted for the contest. Open-source tools, libraries, and frameworks are allowed. Paid services, cloud platforms, and external compute power are not allowed.
5. Fair play. Real skills and real engineering matter. Contestants must not seek or accept assistance on the problem from anyone outside their team.
6. Scoring. There will be one open-ended optimization problem with multiple instances and one leaderboard. Better solutions receive lower scores, teams start at infinity, and the team with the lowest total score wins.
7. Time limit. The competition window lasts 4 hours.
8. Registration notes. Sign up before May 20, and let the organizers know about any allergies when registering.