Dear CodeChef Team,
I am writing to appeal against the disqualification of my submissions and the associated penalty on my rating due to alleged similarity with other users’ solutions in Starters 139 Division 4 (Rated). I firmly believe that this is a mistake, and I would like to provide evidence and clarification regarding my submissions.
Independent Work:
I have always adhered to the CodeChef Code of Conduct and have never engaged in any form of cheating. My solutions are the result of my independent effort during the contest.
Similarity Explanation:
The problems in competitive programming often lead to similar solutions, especially for standard algorithms and common problems. I have reviewed my solutions and noticed that the identified similarities are likely due to the use of common algorithms and coding practices rather than any form of plagiarism.
Evidence:
I am attaching my version of the code along with the timestamps showing the creation and modification times.
Here are some notes and sketches that I made during the contest, which outline my thought process and approach to solving the problems.
I have also included screenshots of my intermediate code versions and drafts, demonstrating my iterative approach to arriving at the final solution.
I kindly request that you review my case considering this information. I am committed to fair play and integrity in competitive programming, and I am confident that a thorough review will confirm that I have not violated any rules.
Thank you for your understanding and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Neeraj