Olympiad problems

2003 Estonia National Olympiad, 5

For which positive integers $n$ is it possible to cover a $(2n+1) \times (2n+1)$ chessboard which has one of its corner squares cut out with tiles shown in the figure (each tile covers exactly $4$ squares, tiles can be rotated and turned around)? [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/6/5/8fddeefc226ee0c02353a1fc11e48ce42d8436.png[/img]

2022 Saudi Arabia BMO + EGMO TST, 1.4

Tags: combinatorics , combinatorial geometry , tiles , Tiling

The sword is a figure consisting of $6$ unit squares presented in the picture below (and any other figure obtained from it by rotation). [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/4/3/08494627d043ea575703564e9e6b5ba63dc2ef.png[/img] Determine the largest number of swords that can be cut from a $6\times 11$ piece of paper divided into unit squares (each sword should consist of six such squares).

Brazil L2 Finals (OBM) - geometry, 2008.3

Tags: geometry , pentagon , Tiling

Let $P$ be a convex pentagon with all sides equal. Prove that if two of the angles of $P$ add to $180^o$, then it is possible to cover the plane with $P$, without overlaps.

2011 BAMO, 1

Tags: Tiling , combinatorial geometry , combinatorics

A set of identical square tiles with side length $1$ is placed on a (very large) floor. Every tile after the first shares an entire edge with at least one tile that has already been placed. - What is the largest possible perimeter for a figure made of $10$ tiles? - What is the smallest possible perimeter for a figure made of $10$ tiles? - What is the largest possible perimeter for a figure made of $2011$ tiles? - What is the smallest possible perimeter for a figure made of $2011$ tiles? Prove that your answers are correct.

2016 Latvia Baltic Way TST, 10

Tags: combinatorics , tiles , Tiling

On an infinite sheet of tiles, an infinite number of $1 \times 2$ tile rectangles are placed, their edges follow the lines of the tiles, and they do not touch each other, not even the corners. Is it true that the remaining checkered sheet can be completely covered with $1 \times 2$ checkered rectangles? [hide=original wording]Uz bezgalīgas rūtiņu lapas ir novietoti bezgaglīgi daudzi 1 x 2 rūtiņu taisnstūri, to malas iet pa rūtiņu līnijām, un tie nesaskaras cits ar citu pat ne ar stūriem. Vai tiesa, ka atlikušo rūtiņu lapu var pilnībā noklāt ar 1 x 2 rūtiņu tainstūriem? [/hide]

2007 Switzerland - Final Round, 3

Tags: combinatorics , Tiling , tiles

The plane is divided into unit squares. Each box should be be colored in one of $n$ colors , so that if four squares can be covered with an $L$-tetromino, then these squares have four different colors (the $L$-Tetromino may be rotated and be mirrored). Find the smallest value of $n$ for which this is possible.

2000 Denmark MO - Mohr Contest, 4

Tags: geometry , rectangle , Tiling

A rectangular floor is covered by a certain number of equally large quadratic tiles. The tiles along the edge are red, and the rest are white. There are equally many red and white tiles. How many tiles can there be?

2017 IMO Shortlist, C1

Tags: rectangle , IMO Shortlist , combinatorics , Tiling

A rectangle $\mathcal{R}$ with odd integer side lengths is divided into small rectangles with integer side lengths. Prove that there is at least one among the small rectangles whose distances from the four sides of $\mathcal{R}$ are either all odd or all even. [i]Proposed by Jeck Lim, Singapore[/i]

2010 CHMMC Winter, 3

Tags: combinatorics , tiles , Tiling , CHMMC

Compute the number of ways of tiling the $2\times 10$ grid below with the three tiles shown. There is an infinite supply of each tile, and rotating or reflecting the tiles is not allowed. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/5/a/bb279c486fc85509aa1bcabcda66a8ea3faff8.png[/img]

2011 May Olympiad, 5

Tags: combinatorics , Tiling , tiles

Determine for which natural numbers $n$ it is possible to completely cover a board of $ n \times n$, divided into $1 \times 1$ squares, with pieces like the one in the figure, without gaps or overlays and without leaving the board. Each of the pieces covers exactly six boxes. Note: Parts can be rotated. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/c/2/d87d234b7f9799da873bebec845c721e4567f9.png[/img]

1999 Estonia National Olympiad, 5

Tags: Tiling , combinatorics

There is a hole in the roof with dimensions $23 \times 19$ cm. Can August fill the the roof with tiles of dimensions $5 \times 24 \times 30$ cm?

2022 Cyprus TST, 4

Tags: combinatorics , Tiling

Let $m, n$ be positive integers with $m<n$ and consider an $n\times n$ board from which its upper left $ m\times m$ part has been removed. An example of such board for $n=5$ and $m=2$ is shown below. Determine for which pairs $(m, n)$ this board can be tiled with $3\times 1$ tiles. Each tile can be positioned either horizontally or vertically so that it covers exactly three squares of the board. The tiles should not overlap and should not cover squares outside of the board.

2003 Germany Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: combinatorics , Tiling , dissection , IMO Shortlist

For $n$ an odd positive integer, the unit squares of an $n\times n$ chessboard are coloured alternately black and white, with the four corners coloured black. A it tromino is an $L$-shape formed by three connected unit squares. For which values of $n$ is it possible to cover all the black squares with non-overlapping trominos? When it is possible, what is the minimum number of trominos needed?

2024 Baltic Way, 7

Tags: combinatorics , combinatorics proposed , Tiling

A $45 \times 45$ grid has had the central unit square removed. For which positive integers $n$ is it possible to cut the remaining area into $1 \times n$ and $n\times 1$ rectangles?

2015 All-Russian Olympiad, 5

Tags: combinatorics , grid , Tiling

It is known that a cells square can be cut into $n$ equal figures of $k$ cells. Prove that it is possible to cut it into $k$ equal figures of $n$ cells.

1990 All Soviet Union Mathematical Olympiad, 514

Tags: Tiling , congruent , rectangle , square , combinatorial geometry , geometry

Does there exist a rectangle which can be dissected into $15$ congruent polygons which are not rectangles? Can a square be dissected into $15$ congruent polygons which are not rectangles?

Denmark (Mohr) - geometry, 2000.4

Tags: geometry , rectangle , Tiling

A rectangular floor is covered by a certain number of equally large quadratic tiles. The tiles along the edge are red, and the rest are white. There are equally many red and white tiles. How many tiles can there be?

2016 Indonesia TST, 1

Tags: combinatorics , Coloring , Tiling

Let $n \ge 3$ be a positive integer. We call a $3 \times 3$ grid [i]beautiful[/i] if the cell located at the center is colored white and all other cells are colored black, or if it is colored black and all other cells are colored white. Determine the minimum value of $a+b$ such that there exist positive integers $a$, $b$ and a coloring of an $a \times b$ grid with black and white, so that it contains $n^2 - n$ [i]beautiful[/i] subgrids.

2020 Dutch IMO TST, 3

Tags: combinatorics , Tiling , tiles

For a positive integer $n$, we consider an $n \times n$ board and tiles with dimensions $1 \times 1, 1 \times 2, ..., 1 \times n$. In how many ways exactly can $\frac12 n (n + 1)$ cells of the board are colored red, so that the red squares can all be covered by placing the $n$ tiles all horizontally, but also by placing all $n$ tiles vertically? Two colorings that are not identical, but by rotation or reflection from the board into each other count as different.

1994 ITAMO, 1

Tags: partition , Tiling , combinatorics , combinatorial geometry , Squares

Show that there exists an integer $N$ such that for all $n \ge N$ a square can be partitioned into $n$ smaller squares.

1987 Polish MO Finals, 6

Tags: Tiling , combinatorics , combinatorial geometry , hexagon

A plane is tiled with regular hexagons of side $1$. $A$ is a fixed hexagon vertex. Find the number of paths $P$ such that: (1) one endpoint of $P$ is $A$, (2) the other endpoint of $P$ is a hexagon vertex, (3) $P$ lies along hexagon edges, (4) $P$ has length $60$, and (5) there is no shorter path along hexagon edges from $A$ to the other endpoint of $P$.

2019 Saudi Arabia JBMO TST, 2

Tags: Tiling , rectangle , tiles , combinatorics

We call a tiling of an $m\times$ n rectangle with arabos (see figure below) [i]regular[/i] if there is no sub-rectangle which is tiled with arabos. Prove that if for some $m$ and $n$ there exists a [i]regular[/i] tiling of the $m\times n$ rectangle then there exists a [i]regular[/i] tiling also for the $2m \times 2n$ rectangle. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/1/1/2ab41cc5107a21760392253ed52d9e4ecb22d1.png[/img]

2016 Czech-Polish-Slovak Junior Match, 4

Tags: Tiling , combinatorics , combinatorial geometry

Several tiles congruent to the one shown in the picture below are to be fit inside a $11 \times 11$ square table, with each tile covering $6$ whole unit squares, no sticking out the square and no overlapping. (a) Determine the greatest number of tiles which can be placed this way. (b) Find, with a proof, all unit squares which have to be covered in any tiling with the maximal number of tiles. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/c/d/23d93e9d05eab94925fc54006fe05123f0dba9.png[/img] Poland

2020 European Mathematical Cup, 3

Tags: combinatorics , board , Tiling , emc , Coloring

Two types of tiles, depicted on the figure below, are given. [img]https://wiki-images.artofproblemsolving.com//2/23/Izrezak.PNG[/img] Find all positive integers $n$ such that an $n\times n$ board consisting of $n^2$ unit squares can be covered without gaps with these two types of tiles (rotations and reflections are allowed) so that no two tiles overlap and no part of any tile covers an area outside the $n\times n$ board. \\ [i]Proposed by Art Waeterschoot[/i]

2020 New Zealand MO, 3

Tags: combinatorial geometry , combinatorics , Tiling , tiles

You have an unlimited supply of square tiles with side length $ 1$ and equilateral triangle tiles with side length $ 1$. For which n can you use these tiles to create a convex $n$-sided polygon? The tiles must fit together without gaps and may not overlap.