/ DSA with C++ / Phase 19 Phase Goal The crown jewel: learn to define state, transition and base case for each DP family fast.
Day 102: DP foundations
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 103: 2D & grid DP
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 104: Subsequence DP — knapsack core
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 105: Unbounded knapsack family
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 106: String DP — part 1
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 107: String DP — part 2
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 108: DP on stocks
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 109: DP on subsequences — LIS
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 110: Partition DP (the MCM pattern)
Matrix chain multiplication
Boolean & palindrome partition
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 111: DP on squares & grids
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 112: DP on trees (intro)
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
Day 113: DP mastery & recap
Practice, delayed recall, and independent transfer Choose one core problem from LeetCode, Codeforces, AtCoder, or CSES after checking its prerequisites; hide its technique label Spend 10–20 minutes retrieving one earlier mechanism and one earlier bug before new work; prioritize weak prerequisites Use a five-task bank: guided warm-up, core, changed constraint, delayed recall, optional stretch; attempt one or two, not all five on a timer Before a solution, produce a trace or brute-force plan; when stuck take one hint, act on it, then reassess Record help used, the failing input, the corrected reasoning, and a next review date; start around 1/3/7/14/30 days and adapt Reserve a weekly mixed review; after foundation readiness add a short virtual contest and upsolve one task with known prerequisites Prove progress through a delayed blank-editor reconstruction and a changed problem; a same-day quiz is supporting evidence only
After this phase, you'll be able to:
DP foundations 2D & grid DP Subsequence DP — knapsack core Unbounded knapsack family String DP — part 1 String DP — part 2 DP on stocks DP on subsequences — LIS After Phase 19, explain a core invariant, reconstruct a solution after a delay, diagnose a bug, and solve one unlabelled variation. Repair a failed prerequisite before advancing; record help separately from independent work.