The Interactive Brokers Group is sponsoring a competition for university students that pits them against each other in designing some sort of automated trading platform. I haven’t had time to read indepth what exactly they’re expecting contestants to produce, but from what I’ve read so far, they want you to use their API to make stock market trades using an algorithm that you design. It sounds intriguing and I’ll probably be submitting a request to be apart of the competition.

From the IB competition website:

Trades must be generated by computer algorithms. Students will compete using the same Interactive Brokers’ Trader Workstation Application Program Interface (API) that professional traders use to create automated trading solutions. A multitude of programming languages including Java, C++, C, and Visual Basic may be utilized with our API. Student algorithms may trade US stocks, options, futures, Forex, or bonds as often as their programs require over the contest period.

My solution will probably be coded in either Java or C#, assuming that C# applications are supported. Although I don’t have all that much practical experience with trading and the various markets that are available to me, I see this competition as a chance to learn about well-known trading methodologies and patterns.

If you are interested in reading more about this competition, head over to the competition website.

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