Week 4 of C++: Revision & Problem-Solving

#cpp #dsa #codingjorney #coding

This week was focused on revising pointers and structures, along with exploring two-pointer techniques and Floyd’s cycle detection theorem. I also participated in 6 contests across Codeforces, AtCoder, CodeChef, and LeetCode, improving my problem-solving under time constraints.

🔹Pointers Revision (Day 22-24)

I spent the first three days revisiting pointers, covering:

Pointer arithmetic and how it interacts with arrays
Function pointers and their applications
Common mistakes like memory leaks and segmentation faults

This helped solidify concepts essential for memory management and performance optimization.

🔹Two-Pointer & Cycle Detection (Day 25)

Day 25 was dedicated to learning the two-pointer technique and Floyd’s cycle detection theorem:

Two-pointer approach helps optimize problems involving sorted arrays, searching, and merging.
Floyd’s Tortoise and Hare Algorithm is useful for detecting cycles in linked lists efficiently.

Both techniques are widely used in competitive programming and provide significant time complexity improvements.

🔹Structures Revision (Day 26 & 28)

I revised structures and their applications, including:

Arrays of structures
Nested structures
Pointers to structures

This was a quick refresher, as structures are fundamental for organizing complex data and transitioning into OOP.

🔹Problem-Solving & Contests (Day 27)

Day 27 was all about applying concepts in real problems. I solved challenges on Codeforces and worked on:

Two-pointer-based problems
Cycle detection in linked lists
Structuring data efficiently in problem-solving

Regular practice is helping me improve both speed and accuracy in coding contests.

🔹Key Takeaways

Pointers and structures are foundational concepts that need strong command.
Two-pointer and cycle detection techniques significantly optimize problem-solving.
Consistent contest participation enhances coding speed and adaptability.