Q1:

Could you please provide us with some details regarding the problem formats? From my understanding, the first day of the competition will be paper-based, and the second day will be code-based. Is that correct? By “paper-based,” do you mean that students will need to solve math problems and work on equations that underpin ML algorithms, or is it more about writing a report based on intuitive understanding?

A:

Yes, you are correct that the first day will be paper-based, and the second day will be code-based. However, “paper-based” here means that students will be solving math or algorithmic problems, not writing a report. These problems may involve both mathematical equations and an intuitive understanding of concepts, but the focus will be on problem-solving rather than writing. The students will have tools on their laptops to type their answers and submit them as a PDF file by uploading it to a website. This will happen on Monday. The practical coding round will take place on Wednesday, with a practice run scheduled for Tuesday.

Q2:

During the practical round, how many laptops will competitors be able to use? Will you provide them, or do they need to bring their own? Will they be able to use cloud-based GPU compute power like Google Colab or Colab Pro, and will they receive accounts for this? Is internet access allowed, and if so, during which rounds?

A:

Each competitor will be provided with one laptop for the competition. The necessary environment and data will be preloaded onto these machines. We are still finalizing whether internet access will be allowed, but if it is, it will likely be restricted. Competitors will not need to bring their own laptops, and details about using cloud-based GPU compute power, like Google Colab, are still being worked out with the competition’s organizers, Zindi. More information will be available on the competition website soon.

Q3:

We have a series of additional questions that I believe would be easiest answered with an example problem set, even if it doesn’t contain “real” problems—just to get a general idea of how we should prepare our students. How many problems will they need to solve during each of these days? What specific topics should they study before the competition?

A:

The first-round questions will be similar to the sample questions provided in the webinars, so reviewing those would be helpful. The exact number of problems hasn’t been specified, but students should be prepared for both mathematical and algorithmic questions.

Q4:

Has there already been, or will there be, more information posted for the students to access? This could include anything from a chat room to a webinar or something similar?

A:

Yes, webinars have been held on various topics relevant to the competition, and they contain the information students need. All the webinars are available on the competition website at this URL: https://www.iaio-official.org/webinars/. Additionally, there will be a Moodle environment available during the competition for students to access further resources and engage with the competition content.

Q5:

Is IAIO a team competition or an individual competition?

A:

IAIO is an individual competition.

Q6:

Will the final ranking be based on the students’ individual performance or on the aggregate team achievements?

A:

The final ranking will be based on individual performance. There will be medals awarded to students for their individual achievements, and an informal country ranking will be available, similar to other Olympiads.

Q7:

Can we have more information about the type of problems to be solved during the competition? The lectures so far have focused on mathematical topics without programming/model building applications, along with some ethical and design issues. Is this indicative of the problem set we should expect? Or are we correct in assuming that programming will also be part of the competition?

A:

Programming will indeed be a part of the competition. The mathematical topics covered in the lectures are important, but programming / model building will also be tested. For more details, please refer to the URL: https://www.iaio-official.org/competition/.

Q8:

Will math or programming be the primary focus of the competition tasks?

A:

Both math and programming will be essential parts of the competition tasks. Please see the previous answers for more details.

Q9:

Will programming/modelling be done in Python?

A:

Yes, all programming and modelling will be done in Python.

Q10:

What machine learning framework are contestants expected to use for their solutions?

A:

The specific machine learning framework is detailed in the IAIO competition description, which can be found at the URL: https://www.iaio-official.org/competition/.

Q11:

Will contestants be able to browse the internet throughout the competition?

A:

Contestants will have restricted internet access during the competition.