Team solves 10 coding problems as part of Harvard challenge

DOHA, QATAR – A team of four Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) students was one of only 12 teams to place first in an international coding competition, successfully solving all 10 problems in just 72 hours.

The CS50x Coding Contest 2016, hosted by Harvard University, attracted 659 teams from 89 countries. Mohammed Abdullah Khan, Abubaker Omer, Mohammed Hashim Qusai and Julian Sam are all computer science students in their second year at CMU-Q.

Khan described the team’s approach: “We initially divided up the problems. On the last few problems—the hardest ones—some of us were coming up with algorithms, some of us were changing that into code, and that made it efficient. You’ve got to work as a team.”

The students credit the Carnegie Mellon approach to computer science for preparing them well for the competition. Students receive complex problem sets that connect theoretical concepts to real-life applications, skills that were helpful during the contest.

Omer added that “the win is evidence that the things we’re studying at CMU-Q are not just theory, they are something you can use in real life.”

The CMU-Q team completed the challenge with all four members in different locations: three members worked from their homes in Qatar, while Sam was in India. They communicated via WhatsApp and Skype, and took turns catching sleep whenever they could. The team successfully solved the last problem with three hours to spare in the 72-hour challenge.

Ilker Baybars, dean and CEO of Carnegie Mellon Qatar, commented on the win: “CMU-Q has a tradition of competing with tenacity and ingenuity in international contests. Congratulations to each member of the winning team; I know we will continue to see great things from them.”