The 28th edition of the Turing Machine Programming Contest for high school students was held on May 17, 2025, organized by the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pisa, with the support of the Rotary Club Pisa Galilei.
The contest was first launched in 1997 with the goal of introducing high school students to the world of programming and computational thinking. In order to reach as many students as possible and ensure fair competition, the contest does not require knowledge of specific programming languages. Instead, it is based on the formalism of the Turing Machine (1936)—a model conceived before the invention of modern computers, yet still reflective of their fundamental principles.
Over the years, the contest has garnered growing interest thanks to its distinctive approach: it was the first competition that enabled high school teachers to introduce students to the foundational concepts of computer science, rather than focusing solely on technical applications or specific programming tools.
Despite its abstract nature, the Turing Machine model is simple to describe and understand. For this reason, it serves as an ideal entry point for students to explore the logical reasoning at the heart of programming. In fact, inspired by the contest, a Turing Machine workshop has frequently been featured during the “Incontra Informatica” outreach events for high school students organized by the Department of Computer Science.
The contest took place as a team competition, with teams consisting of two students each. It was held at the Fibonacci Complex of the University of Pisa on May 17, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, followed by an awards ceremony in the afternoon.
For the 2025 edition, 54 teams registered, totaling 108 students from 21 schools across Italy.
For more information, please visit the official contest page: https://mdt.di.unipi.it/
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