📌About the Event

AMS Ascent ’26 is a C++ and systems programming competition organized by the Algorithms & Mathematics Society (AMS). Unlike conventional programming contests that primarily assess whether participants can solve a problem correctly, Ascent ’26 goes further by measuring how efficiently their code actually performs. Participants are tested on profiling, debugging, optimization, memory management, build systems, and low-level performance engineering. Correctness acts as the qualifying threshold, while wall-clock runtime and performance determine rankings.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Event Type: C++ and Systems Programming Competition
• Organizer: AMS (Algorithms & Mathematics Society)
• Mode: Hybrid – online, campus-based, and offline finale
• Number of Rounds: 3
• Round 1: Conducted online through AMS Access with remote proctoring.
• Round 2: Conducted on participating campuses and moderated by campus club members.
• Round 3: Conducted offline in Mumbai for the finalists.

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📅 Important Dates

• Registration Opens: September 24, 2026
• Round 1: October 24, 2026
• Round 2: December 6, 2026
• Round 3 / Finale: December 2026
• Finale Location: Mumbai

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Eligibilty:
• Students from all 23 IITs are eligible.
• Students from Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) are eligible.
• Students from ISI Kolkata, ISI Delhi and ISI Bangalore are eligible.
• Students from IISc Bangalore are eligible.
• Students from IIIT Hyderabad, IIIT Delhi and IIIT Bangalore are eligible.
• Students from DTU and NSUT are eligible.
• Students from BITS Pilani’s Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad campuses are eligible.
• Students from NIT Trichy, NIT Warangal, NIT Surathkal and NIT Rourkela are eligible.
• Students from institutions outside the listed colleges can also register; their entry into Round 1 is subject to profile-based selection.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• 30 finalists will advance to the final round in Mumbai.
• Travel and accommodation for the 30 finalists will be covered by AMS.
• Participants get an opportunity to demonstrate C++ and systems-engineering skills in areas relevant to performance engineering and low-latency computing.
• AMS has announced Jane Street as a Gold Sponsor for the inaugural Ascent ’26 competition.