difference made by sub-queries - mysql

Question

Problem statement link
Correct code (by dongyuzhang):
select con.contest_id,
con.hacker_id,
con.name,
sum(total_submissions),
sum(total_accepted_submissions),
sum(total_views), sum(total_unique_views)
from contests con
join colleges col on con.contest_id = col.contest_id
join challenges cha on col.college_id = cha.college_id
left join
(select challenge_id, sum(total_views) as total_views, sum(total_unique_views) as total_unique_views
from view_stats group by challenge_id) vs on cha.challenge_id = vs.challenge_id
left join
(select challenge_id, sum(total_submissions) as total_submissions, sum(total_accepted_submissions) as total_accepted_submissions from submission_stats group by challenge_id) ss on cha.challenge_id = ss.challenge_id
group by con.contest_id, con.hacker_id, con.name
having sum(total_submissions)!=0 or
sum(total_accepted_submissions)!=0 or
sum(total_views)!=0 or
sum(total_unique_views)!=0
order by contest_id;
My changed code without sub-queries which is incorrect and giving larger values of sums. I don't understand how writing sub-queries is making the difference ? A simple example test case would be very helpful. THANKS !
select con.contest_id,
con.hacker_id,
con.name,
sum(total_submissions),
sum(total_accepted_submissions),
sum(total_views), sum(total_unique_views)
from contests con
join colleges col on con.contest_id = col.contest_id
join challenges cha on col.college_id = cha.college_id
left join view_stats vs
on cha.challenge_id = vs.challenge_id
left join submission_stats ss
on cha.challenge_id = ss.challenge_id
group by con.contest_id, con.hacker_id, con.name
having sum(total_submissions)!=0 or
sum(total_accepted_submissions)!=0 or
sum(total_views)!=0 or
sum(total_unique_views)!=0
order by contest_id;

Answer 1

In general with the subqueries first you make the aggregation before the join, so the values are right, since you have only one row per chalange_id respective contest_id and hacker id with the right sum.
If you join them together first, the values are summed up once for every matching row in the main-query.
Table1:
id | value1
a | 1
a | 2
b | 3
Table2:
id | value2
a | 5
a | 6
If you join without subqueries you got(before grouping)
a | 1 | 5
a | 1 | 6
a | 2 | 5
a | 2 | 6
So surely the sums are wrong.
select Table1.id , sum(value1), sum(value2) from
Table1 join Table2 on Table1.id = Table2.id
would return
a | 6 | 22
but
select Table1.id , sum(value1), max(sum2) from
Table1 join (select sum(value2) as sum2 from Table2 group by id) t2 on Table1.id = Table2.id
would return
a | 3 | 11
I don't know if this is the case in your query, but this is the main difference of using subqueries