German Informatics Competitions

Publisher Summary The chapter focuses on the German Informatics competitions. Informatics competitions for young people have been organized in the Federal Republic of Germany since 1980. The first three competitions are based on the initiatives of the young competitors themselves. Each competition consists of three rounds. In the first round, the competitors have to solve three or five exercises; in the second round, three problems are given and all of them have to be worked out; and the third round consists of a colloquium. The aim of the competition is not to complete research but to make a judgment on the way the computer science methods are used, on good documentation, careful modeling, and systematic solving of the problems. The successful participants in the third round are invited to join the colloquium, which is organized in a different town each year, funded by a firm.