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Best resources to learnCompetitive Programming

Study sheet

Competitive programming is algorithmic problem-solving against the clock. You will learn the standard algorithm toolkit, contest strategy and the training ladders used for Codeforces, ICPC and olympiads.

6 resources · · How we curate

📺YouTube(1)

youtube

Errichto Algorithms (YouTube)

YouTube channel by a Polish competitive programmer. It has lectures on dynamic programming, binary search and other techniques, recorded live contest solving with commentary, and advice on how to practice and move up in rating. Watching an elite contestant solve problems live teaches contest strategy and thought process that text resources cannot.

intermediate🇬🇧

🎓Courses(1)

course

Codeforces EDU: ITMO Academy Pilot Course

Free Codeforces course by ITMO University teachers. Video lectures and theory notes cover binary search, two pointers, segment trees, suffix arrays, disjoint sets and more, and each lesson has step-by-step problem sets judged on Codeforces. Rigorous lecture-plus-practice format for the intermediate data-structure techniques that sit between USACO Silver/Gold and Codeforces Div 1.

intermediate🇬🇧

📚Books(1)

bookPaid

Competitive Programming 4 - Book 1: The Lower Bound of Programming Contests in the 2020s

Fourth edition (2020) of the ICPC-oriented textbook, split into two volumes. Book 1 covers data structures, problem-solving paradigms and graph algorithms, and classifies thousands of UVa and Kattis exercises by technique.

intermediate🇬🇧

🌐Websites(3)

website

CP-Algorithms - Minimum-cost flow (successive shortest path)

Article explaining the successive shortest path algorithm for minimum-cost flow, an extension of Edmonds-Karp that augments along cheapest paths, covering directed and undirected graphs, complexity analysis, an SPFA-based implementation, and practice problems. Readers can implement min-cost max-flow for contest problems.

advanced🇬🇧
website

CSES Problem Set

About 400 classic algorithm problems with an online judge, grouped by technique: sorting and searching, dynamic programming, graphs, range queries, trees, mathematics, strings and geometry. Each problem isolates one standard technique for practice. The canonical technique-by-technique practice set. It turns the Handbook's theory into drilled skill with no filler problems.

intermediate🇬🇧
website

LeetCode

Online judge with thousands of algorithm and data-structure problems sorted by difficulty, topic and company, plus timed contests, discussion threads and study plans. Regular practice builds fluency with common interview problem patterns and writing correct, efficient code under time pressure.

intermediate🇬🇧
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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best free resources to learn Competitive Programming?

Dantes has curated 6 resources for Competitive Programming, including 1 YouTube videos, 1 books, 1 courses, 3 websites. All resources are hand-picked for quality — no algorithmic filler. Browse the full list above to find the format that works best for you.

Is Competitive Programming hard to learn?

Competitive Programming is approachable at the beginner level — there are resources here specifically for those starting from scratch. As you progress, intermediate and advanced material is also available to take your skills further.

What types of Competitive Programming learning resources are available on Dantes?

For Competitive Programming, Dantes has curated 1 YouTube videos, 1 books, 1 courses, 3 websites. Each resource type serves a different learning style: videos and YouTube for visual learners, books for depth, courses for structured progression, and websites for quick reference.

How does Dantes select Competitive Programming resources?

Dantes is an algorithm-free learning directory. Resources are hand-curated based on quality, accuracy, and usefulness — not engagement metrics or paid placements. The goal is to surface the best learning material for Competitive Programming, whether it's a free YouTube series, a classic textbook, or an open courseware from a top university.

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