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Roadmap

This file exists so future work does not drift into memory or scattered chat history.

The current post-core algorithm backlog now lives primarily in Algorithm Gap Roadmap, while broad source-audit synthesis now lives in Book Coverage Roadmap. This file stays focused on repo-wide planning and format policy.

Visual-system planning now lives in Visual Roadmap. The content-quality bar for visuals now lives in Visual Content Contract.

How To Use This File

  • use this as the repo-wide now / next / later backlog
  • update a line here when a content pass changes priority or scope
  • keep page-format rules short here and move public writing contracts into the canonical docs they govern
  • when a task is completed, either remove it or move it to a short recently shipped note

Shared Standard

The repo should feel like one learning system, not a pile of Markdown files.

That means:

  • each page type should answer one primary question and stop there
  • topics/ teaches the reusable idea
  • templates/ stores reusable code
  • notebook/ stores contest-time recall and workflows
  • practice/ stores recognition, sequencing, and problem-specific transformations
  • docs/ stores route pages, standards, research notes, and planning
  • every content pass should be classified as either evergreen or freshness-sensitive before writing starts

Sourcing And Freshness Rules

This backlog should assume that online research is part of the authoring process, not an optional polish step.

Evergreen

Use for:

  • algorithm topics
  • proofs and derivations
  • most templates
  • most ladders and solved notes

Rule:

  • still do a research sweep before calling the content mature
  • prefer Primary, Course, and Reference sources for facts and proofs
  • use Essay / Blog only when it genuinely deepens understanding

Freshness-Sensitive

Use for:

  • toolchain and workflow guidance
  • playbooks and route pages that recommend current resources
  • platform, judge, library, and official-program links
  • any content whose recommendations may drift over time

Rule:

  • verify the relevant official or primary online sources during the pass
  • record a snapshot or last-reviewed date when the date matters
  • prefer official docs and project-primary pages over summaries

Layer Expectations

  • topics/: deep explanation plus researched sources
  • templates/: researched assumptions, not just copied snippets
  • notebook/: compact recall backed by researched topic/workflow content
  • practice/: official problem links and researched topic framing
  • docs/: strongest freshness discipline in the repo when external recommendations are involved

Topic Formats

These rules synthesize the current topic contract plus agent review.

Area Hub

Use for:

  • topics/<area>/README.md

Job:

  • route the reader into the right subtopic, not teach the full lesson

Must include:

  • what this area covers
  • who should open it now
  • 3-6 strongest next doors
  • route suggestions by level or goal

Must avoid:

  • long proofs
  • giant problem catalogs near the top
  • duplicating all child pages

Technique Leaf

Use for one concrete algorithm or data structure like Fenwick Tree, KMP, DSU, or Segment Tree.

Canonical examples:

Must include:

  • At A Glance
  • Problem Model And Notation
  • From Brute Force To The Right Idea
  • Core Invariant And Why It Works
  • Complexity And Tradeoffs
  • Worked Examples
  • Algorithm And Pseudocode
  • Implementation Notes
  • Practice Archetypes
  • References And Repo Anchors
  • Related Topics

Family / Chooser Page

Use when the main job is choosing among sibling algorithms, such as Shortest Paths.

Must include:

  • a chooser table
  • decision axes
  • anti-cues
  • comparison examples
  • child-page routing

Must avoid:

  • full deep proofs for every child technique in one page

Theory-Led Page

Use when the main payoff is modeling, vocabulary, or proof habits, such as Reasoning or Graph Modeling.

Must include:

  • why it matters in contests
  • core vocabulary
  • one central principle or argument
  • concrete examples
  • actionable checklist
  • practice anchors

Content Layer Formats

These are the public-content formats to keep stable across future passes.

1. Beginner Onboarding And C++ Workflow

Primary question:

  • how do I write, compile, run, debug, and trust simple C++ contest programs locally?

Main files:

  • topics/foundations/cpp-language/README.md
  • notebook/foundations-cheatsheet.md
  • notebook/local-judge-workflow.md
  • notebook/stress-testing-workflow.md
  • practice/ladders/foundations/cpp-language/README.md

Standard:

  • topic page teaches the default loop and the reasoning behind it
  • cheatsheet stores exact commands and tiny syntax reminders
  • workflow pages store operational loops
  • ladder page stores the progression and exit criteria

2. Template Library

Primary question:

  • what code should I grab, and what does it already assume?

Standard:

  • every template should expose Signal, Assumes, Complexity, Main trap, and Links
  • template-library.md should stay signal-first, not become a theory page

3. Notebook / Cheatsheets

Primary question:

  • what is the shortest route back to the right invariant and template under contest pressure?

Standard:

  • start with Use when and Do not use when
  • keep signal -> invariant -> trap before anything else
  • point back to topic pages for proofs

4. Workflow Pages

Examples:

  • stress-testing-workflow.md
  • local-judge-workflow.md
  • contest-checklist.md

Primary question:

  • what exact operational loop should I run right now?

Standard:

  • Trigger
  • Inputs needed
  • Output artifact
  • Stop condition
  • one compact command loop
  • one failure-logging rule

5. Ladder README

Primary question:

  • what should I solve next in this subtopic, and why is each problem placed there?

Standard:

  • Who This Is For
  • Before You Start
  • Warm-Up
  • Core
  • Stretch
  • Exit Criteria
  • Repo Connections

6. Solved Problem Notes

Primary question:

  • what transformation turned this statement into a solvable pattern?

Standard:

  • explain the delta from the topic page
  • keep the Reusable Pattern block strong and consistent
  • avoid reteaching the entire topic

Recommended body:

  • Why Practice This
  • Recognition Cue
  • Problem-Specific Transformation
  • Core Idea
  • Complexity
  • Pitfalls / Judge Notes
  • Reusable Pattern
  • Solutions
  • optional Review Prompt

7. Mixed Rounds

Primary question:

  • how do I test retrieval and switching across topics on purpose?

Standard:

  • Who This Is For
  • Pack Shape
  • Topics Under Test
  • Suggested Order
  • How To Run It
  • Allowed Refreshers
  • Debrief
  • Go Back Next

8. High-Level Guidance And Contest Playbooks

Examples:

  • docs/start-here.md
  • docs/site-home.md
  • practice/contest-playbooks/*.md

Primary question:

  • what should I do next, and what should I ignore for now?

Standard:

  • one clear primary route
  • at most a few alternate routes
  • explicit exit criteria
  • explicit next clicks

9. Maintainer Docs

Examples:

  • docs/content-blueprint.md
  • docs/topic-template.md
  • docs/authoring/*.md
  • docs/source-map.md
  • this roadmap

Primary question:

  • what is the contract, what is unfinished, and what is the exact next shippable step?

Standard:

  • clear ownership and scope
  • stable vocabulary
  • tables for gaps and coverage
  • Open loops
  • Next review

Current Topic Backlog

The next deep-topic candidates with the highest payoff are:

  1. topics/data-structures/segment-tree/README.md
  2. topics/strings/kmp/README.md
  3. topics/math/modular-arithmetic/README.md
  4. topics/dp/digit-dp/README.md
  5. topics/graphs/lca/README.md
  6. topics/geometry/convex-hull/README.md
  7. topics/strings/z-function/README.md
  8. topics/data-structures/dsu/README.md
  9. topics/graphs/matching/README.md
  10. topics/strings/suffix-array-lcp/README.md

Family / chooser pages to deepen later:

  • topics/graphs/shortest-paths/README.md
  • topics/graphs/flow/README.md
  • topics/graphs/scc-toposort/README.md
  • topics/data-structures/heaps-and-ordered-sets/README.md

Theory-led pages to strengthen later:

  • topics/foundations/reasoning/README.md
  • topics/graphs/graph-modeling/README.md
  • topics/advanced/contest-engineering/README.md

Current Content Backlog

Priority order outside topics/:

  1. beginner onboarding and C++ workflow / compile / run / syntax / debugging
  2. template-library metadata and retrieval polish
  3. notebook / cheatsheet density
  4. solved-problem-note consistency
  5. mixed rounds expansion
  6. contest playbooks
  7. docs UX / route pages
  8. maintainer docs and authoring guides

Now

Theme

  • strengthen the beginner stack so the repo has one genuinely strong first door

Files To Touch First

  • topics/foundations/cpp-language/README.md
  • notebook/foundations-cheatsheet.md
  • practice/ladders/foundations/cpp-language/README.md
  • notebook/local-judge-workflow.md
  • notebook/stress-testing-workflow.md
  • docs/start-here.md

Definition Of Done For This Pass

  • one canonical release build command
  • one canonical debug / sanitizer build command
  • clear explanation of flag choices
  • one tiny compile-and-run example
  • one debug-failure example
  • one local sample workflow
  • one stable ladder route for beginner C++
  • clean links among topic page, cheatsheet, workflow pages, and first practice notes
  • current official or project-primary links rechecked for the workflow guidance that depends on them

Next

  • deepen segment-tree
  • raise template-library.md to the new metadata contract
  • standardize solved-note structure where it still feels uneven

Later

  • add more mixed-round packs with explicit training goals
  • expand contest playbooks with before / during / after workflows
  • add more authoring guides for naming, slugs, citation rules, and metadata formatting

Forgotten Work Guardrail

When this file is updated, check these questions explicitly:

  • which pages are mentioned often but still thin?
  • which topic maps still rely more on external links than strong internal pages?
  • which templates are battle-tested but poorly explained?
  • which ladders have problems but weak sequencing comments?
  • which workflows are referenced often but not concrete enough to execute blindly?

Open Loops

  • add a maintainer-facing coverage table once the next 3-5 deep-topic pages are finished
  • decide whether this roadmap should also be linked in site navigation, not only from the repo
  • standardize template file headers when the template-library pass starts

Next Review

  • after the C++ workflow pass is shipped
  • after the next deep-topic page beyond Fenwick and FFT / NTT is published