Top Competitive Programmer vs. LeetCode's HARDEST Questions

A top competitive programmer from the Codeforces/CodeChef realm (with almost zero prior interview experience) takes on the hardest questions known to LeetCode to find out... how good is competitive programming, really? Is it enough to dominate even the hardest questions that LeetCode has to offer? Or will these questions be enough to stump me? Find out in this video experiment.
(yes, lowest solve rate doesn't necessarily mean hardest, but it's the best I could do, and they were pretty hard anyway)
Questions
Q1 (14.2%): leetcode.com/problems/strong-...
Q2 (15.0%): leetcode.com/problems/booking...
Q3 (15.7%): leetcode.com/problems/fancy-s...
Support me with money: www.buymeacoffee.com/galencolin
Music:
Sthlm Sunset by Ehrling
• Ehrling - Sthlm Sunset
(not exactly sure how to credit, the given link is dead)
Paradise by Ikson ( / ikson )
Link: • Ikson - Paradise
This Is For You (Prod. by Lukrembo)
Link: • lukrembo - this is for...
Timestamps:
0:00:00 Intro
0:01:17 Format
0:02:15 Q1 (hardest, 14.2%)
0:23:01 Q1 - Recap
0:24:06 Q2 (2nd hardest, 15.0%)
0:53:46 Q2 - Recap
0:56:01 Q3 (3rd hardest, 15.7%)
1:04:05 Q3 - Recap
1:04:37 Conclusion

[@ScienceSeekho]

This dude has replaced the word "HARD" with "FUN". That's the secret to MAANG

[@syntaxandRender]

MANGA

[@nyannyan4928]

@@syntaxandRender i clicked video, on first two secs i got baited, scammed thinking of someone else [gender specific];

[@spaceclones3115]

this is the most useful series Colin, please more of leetcode hards

[@jeremyvonhatten5811]

Good content for sure. Would love to hear more commentary about how you break the problem down.

[@zachleach829]

this

[@nalinraj4347]

Video idea !! : do 100 leetcode easy questions under 30 minutes i guarantee you it will blow up .....or something similar with medium level questions

[@ColinGalen]

You read my mind, that's literally my next video idea (though 100 in 30 mins is overestimating my skill)

[@hieishaka321]

@@ColinGalen it would be hard to even fully understand 100 questions in 30 minutes

[@MrTacoMan123]

You realize that's only 18 seconds per question right? lol

[@adaelasm6467]

I don't think I could even read that many question in 30 minutes

[@sarveshwarmahapatro9568]

60 in 60min would be a nice idea

[@cuddledog142]

Dude, I literally just started learning how to prgram, but I love watching these videos haha. Just watching the thought process is interesting

[@pawnzvalorant2692]

same here :)

[@hiccupmcgee1590]

It’s the start of any program, just plan out the problem and do it step by step, including the syntax’s. It’s fairly simple the hard part is coming up with the actual program lol.

[@peterbelanger4094]

I first learned basic on a TRS-80 in 1981. Been in front of computers ever since. Now I have severe carpal, and my eyes are getting old. These questions are indeed challenging, but not impossible. But I have no idea how he does them so fast. But his hands still work and he can see the screen reliably.

[@reverend481]

Yall wanna create a study/ practice group?

[@pawnzvalorant2692]

@@reverend481 why not:)

[@yamiplays428]

I get so annoyed when I am unable to come up with a logic.. Sometimes the logic sounds so absurd that I question myself if I know code💀

[@Arcvx]

Colin really stepped up the editing with this video. Kudos.

[@toraso842]

I'm just starting to get into this field and this looks insane

[@TheCameltotem]

Leetcoding or software development? Because they are not even remotely linked.

[@pignoob9551]

@@TheCameltotem really

[@shmeepurt]

@@TheCameltotem what’s the point of leet code? Is it to test yourself?

[@ron0studios]

@@shmeepurt it's for coding interview preparation. Big tech companies make you do questions like these to see whether they should hire you. Some people also like to do it for fun or, yeah, to test themselves/practice (competitive programming)

[@antonbellis2397]

​@@TheCameltotem Programming isnt really more than working with basic mathematical computations and "strings" (aka char sequences). Activly practicing these is a good entry for learning new languages and even intermediates can practice these basic but essenial skills

[@uptonogood300]

just found out this channel ,i'm so glad i did

[@dcp303]

You are built different lol. Can’t wait to see where your career takes you! I’m sure you will be involved in some cool impactful engineering somewhere down the road! Question for you, have you hit diminishing returns growth-wise with algos? Not knocking the fun aspect of it or anything but SWE has so many domains outside of DS&A that are worth diving deep into as well. How’s your sys design? OOP? TDD? Can you work across the stack? Wishing you the best bro! Keep learning and growing!

[@krellin]

competitive programming is not necessarily getting you anywhere, its more of a hobby for those who want to do it. Hard work on real problems and dedication will though...

[@studentse166]

yeah I can't tell if this is a joke competitive programming is more like a video game

[@Vastaway]

@@krellin won't it help for coding interviews tho?

[@krellin]

​@@Vastaway no, only very very niche interviews, like if you want to do google interview, and you have to solve it on blackboard then what he does is useful... but if you are prepping for google interview and you are good engineer already you will take a month off to prepare for their unique annoying method... If you are young, like in school totally get into it... but if you are already working somewhere as a junior this is sub optimal.

[@Vastaway]

@@krellin oh ok, thanks for the tip! yea im in school and wondering if I should continue.

[@Selbstzensur]

thanks for sharing your though process!

[@michaelcasana8376]

Awesome! I saw the thumbnail and title and clicked immediately. Great video

[@sata1938]

Love your vids dude

[@xBounce3x]

You're actually insane bro!

[@nguyendatz]

I think content competitive programmer vs leetcode contest is very cool, u can try it

[@jellyfish1772]

Love this man

[@DBZM1k3]

I wish I were this big brain. I failed my Google interview a couple of months ago and I'm not young anymore either. I wish I could do this but honestly I don't see it happening, it's hard to learn this stuff.

[@Renoistic]

I've never been good at Google-style interviews or timed algorithm-focused tests, but have successfully worked in the field for 6+ years. And I was +30 when I entered it. There are many companies that are interested in results, not in how clever your algorithms are. If you focus your efforts in a popular field like web development or ML you can find work all across the world. No need to aim for Google unless you have a specific reason for it.

[@kevinstefanov2841]

LeetCode's hardest problems are a piece of cake compared to what's on CodeForces. These problems are considered AT MOST average difficulty on there. That's what I used to prepare for coding interviews, and it worked. I nailed pretty much all of them.

[@JulioSantos-bv5ro]

U make me feel so dumb 😂😂

[@JulioSantos-bv5ro]

@@kevinstefanov2841 i would love to...can I have u discord ?

[@kevinstefanov2841]

@@JulioSantos-bv5ro pls tell me yours cuz i changed mine and ever since i did people have been having trouble sending me friend requests

[@franklinnwankwo9442]

@@kevinstefanov2841 Here's mine if you don't mind helping @crypToch

[@kevinstefanov2841]

@@franklinnwankwo9442 what are the 4 digits after the # ?

[@cyber_dbs]

me (while looking at the first problem) : huh! this is so easy, lemme pause this video and code.. me (Later) : *Struggling for 3-4 hours only to find that the algorithm sucks for several testcases*

[@NeilHighley]

Loved the sub 1 second google check *chefs kiss*

[@olayinkaanifowose5099]

do a competitive programmer vs project Euler problems

[@user-pv8yj7mg2o]

this

[@MonteLogic]

Hello, I like the effort. Good vid but I would think it would be good idea to reduce the size of that clock as it can get annoying.

[@anikevin]

Then there's me struggling with almost all medium questions. At least I don't suck at lc easies anymore.

[@RAGEEcs]

do you feel like whats helping you get through leetcode is good knowledge on data structures?

[@anikevin]

@@RAGEEcs of course basic understanding of data structures is needed. But what's helping is lots of practice. There are tons of videos from guys like Neetcode, Kevin Naughton and Nick White that have solved LC questions. I check their videos if I feel stuck and try to comprehend their approach.

[@kevinstefanov2841]

@@anikevin LeetCode's hardest problems are not difficult at all compared to CodeForces' most difficult problems. Go there if you really want competitive programming ;)

[@likeXaXprodigy]

Super impressed how quickly you came up with the "black magic" solution for the n >= 20 case in Q1- had to stop and think for a while to understand. For others wondering: note that in the 6

[@illegalsmirf]

What?

[@ona2]

@Jon Smith what did he say wrong here lol. The comment was quite helpful

[@illegalsmirf]

@@ona2 no

[@kocahmet1]

@Jon Smith how do you figure he has narrow horizons

[@bur2000]

@Jon Smith you assume your definition of fun applies to everybody? Maybe you should broaden your horizon, eh? I could tell you, "bruh, read a book learn something in your one life lol"

[@Excalibur19]

Dude, dude you are awesome

[@sunburststratocaster]

Great content

[@lostmeme9862]

Can you make a 3 month boot camp going from 0 to competitive programmer.

[@bukshotaz]

love the videos.. new at programing it all looks like black magic... I would love more explanation on why you do what you do.. LOL

[@leedloading3553]

I would appreciate it if you explain your code after finishing it. I get that you don't want to make it a long video but just an idea.

[@nelsonwang4582]

Nice content 😍😍

[@NeilHighley]

You should create your own ultra question.

[@raunaktamang8309]

great content

[@TheKeule33]

That deep voice surprised me.

[@user-vn5mo8mc6o]

Informative

[@noaaa8335]

when you code using your text editor, what is the command you use in the terminal to run the c++ you write?

[@joon_yoo]

you need to compile your code probably using g++ to create an executable, then you run it :)

[@theophilemaniragaba3518]

you are the best dude

[@vplays4842]

how did u start writing code when u are begening?

[@codingid5470]

Video idea : Solving leetcode's 30 day monthly problems in 'X' hours!

[@francolasd.b.9159]

The world's most employable man

[@akshaytata]

love that jazz

[@juma21347]

Can you move characters in the string or switch them? does that count as a step? I'm trying to solve the problem myself, but for some reason I'm counting 9 on "bbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccc", and the answer is 8. I just cant see how you can make that case in 8.

[@dimigaminghd4523]

change 'a' 4 times, remove the last 'a', change 'c' once, remove 'c' twice.

[@travissauder7883]

You probably were removing all from the largest group of consecutive same characters instead of removing from the group of consecutive same characters that has the lowest n % 3 value where n is the number of consecutive same characters in a row. Removing 3 "a"s only reduces the number of rule breaks by 1 where as removing an "a" and a "c" reduces rule breaks by 2. You could actually remove any character after those 2 and still reach 8 changes using 5 switches.

[@terencehill3972]

How did I end up here?? I have nothing to do with programming. But this was…intriguing! MORE. I want to see you taking on Russian hackers

[@stoneshou]

Can you try calculator IV?

[@retishe7660]

u should start streaming content like this pls

[@nelsonthekinger]

This is an adhoc problem right?

[@mindsoulvalley1900]

At start he is like "this is annoying... this might suck".. after finishing "ok it's fair"... brooo🤣🤣

[@georgejetson9801]

1.20am and here I am.

[@denisc.1282]

After watching that u start appreciate schools like Harvard

[@businessgoose8605]

You did great! now do it in bash -_-

[@fu2201]

The Ring

[@AtH1338]

how do you get into competitive programming?

[@Mathe_Baendiger]

depression

[@lostplug]

@@Mathe_Baendiger 😭

[@moogleking]

I can't do programming this fast takes me longer lol

[@ankushshah5422]

I was shocked to hear your voice.🤣

[@anshul9856]

Bro get your spectacle power checked, blinking a lot can be a sign of an increase in the power

[@jeevan1874]

How do i code like him... Is there any right path to follow to code like him?

[@broomybroomybroomy]

It probably helps to understand CS concepts instead of just learning code syntax. Also math like discrete math and number theory

[@MrTheHegemon]

Please don't code like him if you're trying to get a job.

[@divyanshsahu9736]

🔥🔥🔥

[@zoasis7805]

Your camera keeps jump cutting conveniently when you are not talking, but the timestamp increases at a continuous rate. Not trying to dismiss this but I would like you to respond to this.

[@adenosinetp10]

I clicked on this video, thinking you were a coder girl. My eyes have deceived me.

[@digupathania25]

i was shocked at 0:001sec .....Can anyone guess why? Btw i watched him first time!

[@skyarubi]

His coding ability is indeed remarkable, but I don't get why nobody talked about how beautiful his hair is.

[@braxtonduong1723]

Because nobody came here for the hair or carea

[@Hubert4515]

you did a lot of cuts there

[@mannini007]

i also play bloons tower defense

[@DadModeActivated]

Question: 420 You: Yes, 420

[@blasterzm]

One big issue: the code you write won't pass during a coding interview because of not being clean quality code

[@sitansusekhar1739]

Is he sitting in an interview in the first place??

[@vidishchandekar4316]

BTD6 is

[@jasoncole1833]

Shout out all the people here who have absolutely 0 coding/programming experience

[@jv1192]

After watching this are you still considering being a software engineer? This looks too hard for me. I’m having second thoughts

[@jasoncole1833]

@@jv1192 I never was

[@jv1192]

@@jasoncole1833 what is your career? Just curious I’m still undecided

[@jasoncole1833]

@@jv1192 in college

[@StereoMyth1]

@@jv1192 usually nobody starts to code because they love coding haha. you want to create something and coding is just means to an end. if you're passionate about creating whatever it is , software website or games. most of the people that code professionally will tell you that they cant script from the top of their head like this guy , but you do develop that "6th sense" of the logic needed to fix a problem. at least you will know what you're missing or what to search for. good luck! In terms leetcode solving capabilities , he far accedes any developer I personally know of

[@alok1819]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@christyseow5519]

Anyways, hair care tutorials thank you? XD

[@ColinGalen]

I do like nothing and it stays (mostly) great, I'm just blessed

[@vivago727]

Do Project Euler's lowest solved questions

[@shortsornothing4981]

That's some real challenge.

[@techdreams6748]

Hey no what😭😂 You know what i mean if you accidentally click this video

[@xgaming4216]

Why you have long hairs?

[@ahmadkhatib3117]

Holy fucking shit, what the fuck is going on in question 3 😢

[@jacksondavid706]

What its easy af

[@rifqimujahid4907]

Whoa moistcritical lil bro is here

[@redfordkobayashi6936]

how old are you?

[@dante19890]

he actually looks a bit like my ex

[@suraj-ej6oq]

Please solve problems using java also...

[@davr9724]

Need to update your browser lol

[@BODYBUILDERS_AGAINST_FEMINISM]

Algorithm comment!

[@kutay8421]

she is beautiful . . .

[@jaserogers997]

Have you ever gone outside?

[@RodoMendoza]

Leetcode hard questions are a piece of cake for you jajaja. Most of people (like me) are leetcode virgins jdjdjdd You are an inspiration 🙌🏼

[@raptyaxa5771]

*confoosedPikachuFace

[@vivarantx]

this chinese is a freaking genius, I really admire him, I could never achieve this level even if I tried

[@thistamndypo]

i think he is korean

[@melajod4wan135]

Why tf do you look like fang yuan ?

[@nathangwyn6098]

That question isn't that hard? 🤔

[@johnhendrixson8133]

you should join a boxing gym. an hour a day. you'd have a hell of a jab with those long lanky arms. this ain't an insult.

[@nirajandata]

1st comment

[@sunnyrawat931]

i thougth you're a girl first ..lol

[@Ripred0219]

Tbh u hella cute

[@michaelmraz2707]

Voice does not match face

[@illegalsmirf]

Are you a girl or a boy?

[@RM-xr8lq]

does it matter? lmao young people on youtube....

[@blitzedoblivion4280]

You can clearly see his Adams Apple...

[@marcotroster8247]

I think you're very talented, but you really need to learn how to name things properly and approach problems with the divide + conquer strategy. I'm 10 years into programming, but didn't understand a thing because your code isn't very descriptive. Just watched it until the end because I was very fascinated with your geekyness 😂😂😂

[@Lovinyou0]

Thats what competitive programmer does tho, im already surprised he used so many white space within his code. Its nothing like your day to day job programming

[@marcotroster8247]

@@Lovinyou0 Haha ok 😂 But LeetCode is supposed to qualify for a job interview. And understandable code is prob very important for employers because that's their asset 🤔😂 So what's this CP experiment going to prove? With CP you're smart enough to solve but won't get hired anyways because your code sucks? 😂😂😂

[@matthewscudder7628]

@@marcotroster8247 Spot on man, but that wasn't really the point here. The idea was to solve the problems fast, not to do a mock interview.

[@marcotroster8247]

@@matthewscudder7628 Haha OK, there's no purpose other than fun? I like guys who program for fun 😂 But my focus of programming fun is writing beautifully looking, well-architected code that performs well. I like what I'm doing, so I don't mind time so much because it's my passion 😂

[@Renoistic]

@@marcotroster8247 This is exactly why LeetCode and Codility are TERRIBLE tools. They are great if you want code wizards you lock in a room to come up with algorithms. These tests cannot measure how well a programmer work in a team or how quickly they adapt to existing code bases, unfamiliar tools and so on.

[@MD-vc7oh]

Are you a girl or a boy

[@Mathe_Baendiger]

a chad

[@moonlightfilms5279]

Here’s an idea for a video, make a clone of leetcode, call it yeetcode, and make it test algorithms based off meme quality questions and put Elon Musk in the title for clickbait🚀

[@thetrungdang8102]

i wonder what your social life looks like.. like its ok to be one of the best programmer at the field, but if you lack of social communication you cant really survive "outside"

[@harisusman6096]

Don’t hate…

[@kevintorres91]

i smell jealousy and envy

[@xianzai_ad1928]

He literally has a channel 💀 it’s not like he is doing this shii in the dark you need some social skills to do that

[@siddhantsharma5300]

He's perhaps one of the best. People come to him for becoming friends or asking for guidance, not the other way around.

[@despicableone4495]

Hes a good looking guy masculine features like sharp eyes and a strong chin I doubt he has any trouble

[@jane_de_yar]

Man female?????

[@satchel4242]

It's unethical to call yourself top anything.

[@100purecopium2]

*smell envious*