Three reasons to participate in Hash Code this year

Hash Code, Google’s team programming competition, is back...and this time, it’s going global. Think you could optimize video serving on YouTube? Or how about route Loon balloons to provide Internet coverage? These are all prompts from past competitions—so if you think you’re up for the challenge, register today and join developers around the world as they tackle a new Google engineering problem. Hash Code 2019 kicks off with the Online Qualification Round on Thursday, February 28th. Top teams from this round will be invited to Google Ireland in April to compete for cash prizes and the title of Hash Code 2019 Champion.

Whether you’re new to programming or a coding competition pro, there are plenty of reasons to participate in Hash Code. Here are our top three:

1. Optimization problems for the win. Just like the problems that Google engineers tackle, there’s never one right answer to a Hash Code problem. Instead, each round of the competition is designed as a “battle of heuristics”—imperfect solutions. There are many ways to approach the challenge, and teams should continuously iterate on their solution throughout the round. Getting familiar with past problems is the best way to prepare; hold a practice session (or two) with your team using the Hash Code archive.
   
2. Hash Code is all about community. From competing on a team of two to four people, to participating in the competition from a Hash Code hub (a local meetup that you can organize), opportunities to connect with other Hash Coders are everywhere. This is the first year Hash Code is open to developers globally, and we’re excited to see this community continue to grow. Meet other Hash Coders, find teammates and stay up-to-date on all the latest Hash Code buzz in our Facebook group.
   
3. Googley fun. Hash Code is an opportunity to get a glimpse into software engineering at Google, and when our teams come together to solve challenging problems, you can bet they have some fun while doing it. Hash Code’s no different—take a look at last year’s Final Round highlight reel to see what we mean, or check out the #HashCode conversations on social media.
   

The best way to experience Hash Code is to discover it for yourself. Register at g.co/hashcode by February 25th to be a part of this year’s competition.