conteststyle

Conteststyle is a term used in competitive programming to describe the conventional format and conventions governing the presentation of contest problems. It refers to a disciplined approach to problem writing that prioritizes clarity, precision, and reproducibility. Problems written in conteststyle typically follow a standardized layout that helps participants understand the task quickly and consistently across different contests and platforms.

A typical conteststyle problem includes a concise problem statement, followed by an input section that precisely describes what the program will read, and an output section that describes what must be produced. A constraints section bounds the inputs and hints at the intended algorithmic difficulty. Examples of input and output illustrate expected behavior, often including several scenarios. Some problems also present notes about edge cases or unusual interpretations of the data.

Conteststyle problems may specify time and memory limits, and may include subtasks or scoring rules for partial credit. In addition, many problems distinguish between static problems and interactive ones, where the program communicates with a live judge during execution. The style favors test data design that covers typical cases as well as corner cases to ensure solutions are efficient and correct.

Platform and community practices vary, with some judges enforcing strict templates and formatting, while others allow flexibility in prose and structure. The term conteststyle is mainly used by problem setters, editors, and participants to discuss best practices for fair, transparent, and accessible problem statements.