Have a great winter break! Please note that AoPS Online will not have classes Dec 21, 2024 through Jan 3, 2025.

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USACO Bronze Problem Series

This course is an introduction to the USA Computing Olympiad at the Bronze level. By the end of the course, students will be comfortable applying strategies such as binary search, greedy algorithms, and using data structures such as arrays, maps, and sets. The course builds problem-solving skills and strategies that will be helpful along the rest of the USACO pathway: Silver (for which we are developing a class), Gold (the focus of CodeWOOT), Platinum, and even the IOI.

12 weeks

Diagnostics

ARE YOU READY?
12 weeks ARE YOU READY?  

Schedule

Fri & Sat
Sep 27 - Nov 1
7:30 - 9:00
PM ET
Sep 27 - Nov 1
7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern
6:30 - 8:00 PM Central
5:30 - 7:00 PM Mountain
4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$445 (~$38/lesson)
$445 (~$38/lesson)
CLOSED
Friday
Sep 27 - Nov 1
7:30 - 9:00
PM ET
Sep 27 - Nov 1
7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern
6:30 - 8:00 PM Central
5:30 - 7:00 PM Mountain
4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$445 (~$38/lesson)
$445 (~$38/lesson)
CLOSED

STARTING SOON

Sunday
Jan 5 - Mar 23
7:30 - 9:00
PM ET
Jan 5 - Mar 23
7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern
6:30 - 8:00 PM Central
5:30 - 7:00 PM Mountain
4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$445 (~$38/lesson)
$445 (~$38/lesson)
ENROLL
Thursday
Feb 6 - Apr 24
7:30 - 9:00
PM ET
Feb 6 - Apr 24
7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern
6:30 - 8:00 PM Central
5:30 - 7:00 PM Mountain
4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific
Click here to see more time zones
$445 (~$38/lesson)
$445 (~$38/lesson)
ENROLL

AoPS Holidays

There are no classes December 21 ‐ January 3, May 24 ‐ 26, July 4 ‐ 6, August 29 ‐ September 1, October 31, and November 24 ‐ November 30, 2025.

Who Should Take?

This course is intended for students who are new to (or just starting out in) the world of programming competitions such as USACO. Students should already be comfortable enough with C++, Java, or Python to write simple programs using basic concepts like arrays, maps/sets, if statements, and for loops. Note that either Java or Python is sufficient for the USACO Bronze and Silver levels, but USACO Gold and above (and most programming contests) essentially require C++, and the IOI only supports C++.

Lessons

1 Intro to USACO Bronze and Simulation
2 Brute Force and Big-O
3 Complete Search
4 Maps and Sets
5 Greedy Algorithms 1
6 Greedy Algorithms 2
7 Geometry
8 Binary Search 1
9 Binary Search 2
10 Ad Hoc Problems
11 US Open Problems
12 Permutations and Recursion

The topics were interesting, the problems were challenging and fun, and the teachers and graders were a big help.