Distributed tasks: introducing distributed computing to programming competitions

In this paper we present distributed tasks, a new task type that can be used at programming competitions. In such tasks, a contestant is supposed to write a program which is then simultaneously executed on multiple computing nodes (machines). The instances of the program may communicate and use the joint computing power to solve the task presented to the contestant. We show a framework for running a contest with distributed tasks, that we believe to be accessible to contestants with no previous experience in distributed computing. Moreover, we give examples of distributed tasks that have been used in the last two editions of a Polish programming contest, Algorithmic Engagements, together with their intended solutions. Finally, we discuss the challenges of grading and preparing distributed tasks.