Competition Knows No Boundaries In Hacker Cup

If you sign up for the New York City marathon, you can’t run 26.2 miles in Chicago and say you competed. Fortunately, we’re not runners (at least not after our New Year’s resolutions wear off). We are hackers. And now you can hack for Facebook from the comfort of your own couch.

The Facebook 2011 Hacker Cup is a multi-round programming competition designed to discover the next best hacker. Contestants will have to successfully solve algorithmic-based problem statements to advance in the competition and are ranked by accuracy and speed. The three rounds begin January 7, 2011 with a 72-hour qualification round. Elimination is quick and fierce, with the top 25 hackers from the 3rd round being flown to Palo Alto, California to compete in the world finals.

What’s that? You want money if you win? Oh, what the heck. $5,000 for first prize, as well as bragging rights. Rumor has it there’s a job at Facebook at stake here, but I have no proof. I can’t imagine they wouldn’t offer something, and it would be nice to turn down that job because you “just can’t imagine life without a Chicago winter.”

Registration is open now, so sign up at http://www.facebook.com/hackercup.