Comrite Learning

Intermediate
USACO Track
High School Middle School Professional Technology

USACO Data Structures & Problem Solving – C++ Fundamentals (part1/semester1)

benjamin benjamin
Overview
Curriculum
  • 5 Sections
  • 107 Lessons
  • 13 Quizzes
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Foundations of C++
28 Lessons6 Quizzes
  1. Course Logistics
  2. To parents
  3. How to Learn Math / CS Effectively (For Middle School Students)
  4. Why Learning C++ for the USA Computing Olympiad (USACO)
  5. Setup C/C++ Development Env: editor/compile/build env
  6. Advanced Topic: setup vscode/g++ in WSL ( linux on windows)
  7. Introduction to Programming with C++
  8. Practice a hello world c++ , compile in VScode and command line
  9. C++ Data Types, Variables, and Constants – USACO Perspective
  10. CP Tips: #include
  11. homework: find all different type of data's range
  12. Floating-Point vs double Precision
  13. Basic C++ Input/Output – USACO Perspective
  14. C++ Input cin, getline(), and Custom Parsing
  15. Advanced topic: how cin >> type_aware?
  16. Advanced Topic: cin vs getline in C++
  17. C++ Output – USACO Perspective
  18. Typical Sample USACO Input/Output
  19. Advanced : high perf I/O: ios::sync_with_stdio(false); cin.tie(nullptr);
  20. C++ Operators – USACO Perspective
  21. C++ Control Flow – USACO Perspective
  22. Write a guess number game in c++
  23. Homework: basic read file/write file
  24. Pratice question: Weird Algorithm
  25. Advanced topic: text vs binary file
  26. C++ syntax overview ( Level -1 obstacles, you should figure out yourself)
  27. How to think like computer, step by step, debug ( cout )
  28. Overview of Loops and If-Else Statements
  29. How to Think with Loops & If-Else
  30. Understanding % (Modulo Operator)
  31. Getting Single Digits Using % and while Loop in C++
  32. Debug techniques ( cout, log and debugger c++, gdb)
  33. Thinking About Double Loops or multiple loops in C++
  34. Thinking About while Loops and break in C++
Advanced C++ ( Pointer, function , recursion and OOP )
20 Lessons4 Quizzes
  1. Java → C++ Guide for USACO
  2. References and Pointers
  3. C++ Pointers and References — A USACO Perspective
  4. Advanced topic: Pointer to Pointer in C++ (**p)
  5. swap number using pointer and reference
  6. C++ Array
  7. 🐄 USACO Array Tutorial (C++)
  8. 🐄 USACO Vector Tutorial (C++)
  9. Advanced: Array vs Vector
  10. Homework: Array
  11. Functions
  12. Recursive Functions in C++
  13. Advanced: C++ Lambda Functions
  14. Advanced Tail Recursion vs Regular Recursion: Detailed Explanation
  15. Homework functions
  16. Advanced: Deep on lambda function
  17. C++ struct
  18. Apply C++ struct to USACO problems
  19. Advanced: Struct best pratices
  20. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) Basics
  21. Advanced OOP Concepts
  22. Advanced topic: why need virtual at base class?
  23. Homework : OOP
  24. Advanced: C++ Operator Overloading
Data Structure and Standard Template Library (STL) in C++
42 Lessons2 Quizzes
  1. introduction of std::string
  2. std::string_view
  3. Homework: string
  4. Arrays, Strings, and Pointers
  5. Templates and STL
  6. Advanced topic: C++ Templates
  7. Advanced Topic: Advanced c++ template II
  8. Introduction of std::vector in C++
  9. Introduction of std::array in C++
  10. Introduction of std::list in C++
  11. HOMEWORK: vector/list/string
  12. std::span in C++
  13. Introduction to Hash function
  14. STL unordered_set, unordered_map and underlying Hash table
  15. Advanced: Deep dive to unordered_set for your own class
  16. Advanced: unordered_map for custoermized class/struct
  17. Advanced Topic: Understanding Collisions in Hash Tables
  18. Advanced: Aggregate Initialization and consturctor
  19. Introduction to Tree ( binary tree, b-tree, trie)
  20. Advanced: Binary Tree Tranversal ( pre-order, post-order, in-order)
  21. C++ STL set / map and Their Underlying Tree (USACO Perspective)
  22. C++ STL Containers: map, set, unordered_map, unordered_set
  23. When to use map/set, when to use unordered_map/unordered_set?
  24. Advanced: set/map for custoermized class/struct
  25. Advanced Topic: when to use insert({key, value}) and emplace(key, value)
  26. Advanced topic: benchmark and custom comparator for unordered or regular map/set
  27. Advanced Topic: multimap and multiset ( order/unordered)
  28. Advanced Topic: multiset / multimap real-world use cases
  29. Advanced Topic: real-world using multi-set/map II
  30. Homework: unordered and regular map/set
  31. introduction to std::stack in C++
  32. Typical Use cases for stack
  33. Typical usage for stack in USACO
  34. Advanced Topic: Polish Notation, Reverse Polish Notation, and Conversions
  35. Advanced Topic: Function Call Using Stack
  36. introduction of std::queue in C++
  37. Introduction to std::deque in C++
  38. Advanced: C++ queue vs deque
  39. Introduction to std::priority_queue (or Heap) in C++
  40. Typical use case for priority_queue ( heap)
  41. Advanced Topic: compare set/heap, why use heap
  42. Typical Top K Elements ( using mini heap)
  43. Homework: stack/queue/heap
  44. Java ↔ C++ STL Quick Reference Sheet
STL Algorithms
12 Lessons1 Quiz
  1. Introduction to STL Algorithm ( commonly used )
  2. Advanced Topic: difference between std::find vs find from stl container e.g: std::string.find vs std::unordered_map.find?
  3. Advanced topic: std::move
  4. C++ STL algorithm II
  5. Advanced: std::back_inserter
  6. Advanced Topic: difference between std::binary_search and std::find
  7. STL algorithm III ( std::lower_bound, std::upper_bound, and std::unique )
  8. STL lower_bound, upper_bound, and it - begin()
  9. List of STL algorithms: summary and examples
  10. STL next/prev iterator
  11. STL For USACO
  12. Homework: STL Algorithms
  13. C++ std::algorithm ↔ Java Equivalent Cheat Sheet
Miscellaneous C++ Topics
5 Lessons
  1. File Handling and Streams
  2. Exception Handling
  3. Multithreading and Concurrency
  4. Advanced Miscellaneous Topics
  5. Reference/Doc

Course Overview

Welcome to Part 1 of Comrite's USACO Data Structures & Problem Solving pathway.

This course is designed for students who are new to competitive programming and want to build a strong C++ programming foundation before moving into data structures, STL, and more advanced algorithmic problem solving.

Rather than learning C++ syntax in isolation, students practice programming concepts through competition-style problems and real USACO examples. The goal is to develop the programming skills needed to move confidently into Part 2.

What You Will Learn

  • C++ syntax and program structure
  • Variables, data types, operators, and expressions
  • if/else statements and loops
  • Functions and recursion
  • Arrays and strings
  • Basic problem-solving techniques
  • Debugging and error handling
  • Reading input and producing output
  • Writing clean and reliable C++ programs
  • Introduction to choosing appropriate data structures
  • Solving beginner-level programming and USACO-style problems

Course Features

  • Hands-on Practice: Apply every concept through coding exercises.
  • Real USACO Examples: Begin learning how programming concepts are used in actual competition problems.
  • Problem-Solving Focus: Learn to analyze a problem before writing code.
  • Live Instructor Support: Receive feedback, hints, and guidance.
  • Flexible Learning: Access online materials and recorded sessions.
  • AI powered homework/ladder platform

Ideal For

  • Students who have some previous programming experience
  • Students beginning their USACO journey
  • Students who want to learn C++ for competitive programming
  • Students who can write basic code but want to become better at solving problems
  • Students preparing to continue into Part 2: Data Structures & STL

Part 1 → Part 2 Pathway

This course is Part 1 of a two-part sequence:

Part 1 — C++ Foundations
C++ programming → basic problem solving → competition-style practice

↓

Part 2 — Data Structures & STL
STL → data structures → algorithmic problem solving → more challenging USACO problems

Students who complete Part 1 are prepared to move into Part 2 and begin working more extensively with data structures and STL.

Duration

  • 12–14 weeks
  • 1 session per week
  • Approximately 1 hour per session
  • This is Part 1 / Semester 1

Prerequisites

  • Basic understanding of mathematics
  • Some previous programming experience
  • No prior USACO experience required

Materials Included

  • Video lectures
  • C++ code examples
  • Coding exercises
  • Practice problems
  • Additional reference materials

Outcome

By the end of Part 1, students will be able to write and debug basic C++ programs, analyze and solve introductory programming problems, and use C++ confidently enough to move into data structures, STL, and more advanced USACO problem solving in Part 2.

Continue your journey with Part 2: Data Structures & STL.

 

Note: This curriculum includes both Part 1 and Part 2 content, taking students from C++ fundamentals through data structures, STL, and problem-solving skills.

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