USACO Silver Class

Kavan Doctor's USACO Silver Class

USACO Silver - 12 Classes, 12 Problem Sets

This class series will use Java and C++, and be a combination of problem solving as well as lecturing. There will be 12 classes and 12 homework sets.

The class will cover foundational concepts in USACO by analyzing and dissecting problems. After each class, a set of problems with varying difficulty will be given to students for practice and review in subsequent classes.

By the end, students will be well prepared to perform well on the USACO Silver contest and progress to the Gold division.

Prerequisite: Fluency in Java or C++, ability to consistently solve Bronze problems.

Sunday - 3:00-5:30 PM

Syllabus:

Class 1) Java, C++ and Bronze Implementation Review

Class 2, 3, 4) Graph Theory

Topics Covered

  • Depth First Search
  • Breadth First Search
  • Connected Components
  • Flood Fill
  • Graph Implementation

Class 5) Prefix Sums and Applications

Class 6) Advanced Greedy Algorithms

Class 7,8) Binary Search and Applications

Class 9,10) Mathematics in USACO

  • Combinatorics, Game Theory, Number Theory, Modular Arithmetic

Class 11, 12)  Ad-Hoc Silver Problem Solving, Advanced Implementation

Instructor

Kavan Doctor is an incoming student to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studying Math + Computer Science.

Kavan is USACO Platinum and well versed in computer science, including Java, Python, and C++. He was also top 10 on the CALICO Berkeley Competitive Programming Competition.
He also has extensive experience in mathematics. He was top 15 on the USAJMO, earning an Honorable Mention. He also won first place and a gold medal in COMC, by getting a perfect score. He has also won first place at competitions like Berkeley Math Tournament and Caltech Harvey-Mudd Math Tournament. Kavan is a 5 time AIME qualifier and a 4 time USA(J)MO qualifier.
Kavan is also very passionate about physics and has gotten a silver medal in the USA Physics Olympiad.
Kavan is very enthusiastic and passionate about teaching and has over 4 years of teaching experience.
He is also a National Merit Finalist, getting a 1580 on the SAT and a 1500 on the PSAT.