Olympiad problems

2022 Austrian Junior Regional Competition, 2

You are given a rectangular playing field of size $13 \times 2$ and any number of dominoes of sizes $2\times 1$ and $3\times 1$. The playing field should be seamless with such dominoes and without overlapping, with no domino protruding beyond the playing field may. Furthermore, all dominoes must be aligned in the same way, i. e. their long sides must be parallel to each other. How many such coverings are possible? (Walther Janous)

1969 Spain Mathematical Olympiad, 5

Tags: geometry , convex polygon , similarity , combinatorial geometry , tiles

Show that a convex polygon with more than four sides cannot be decomposed into two others, both similar to the first (directly or inversely), by means of a single rectilinear cut. Reasonably specify which are the quadrilaterals and triangles that admit a decomposition of this type.

1978 Dutch Mathematical Olympiad, 2

Tags: combinatorics , combinatorial geometry , tiles , tiling

One tiles a floor of $a \times b$ dm$^2$ with square tiles, $a,b \in N$. Tiles do not overlap, and sides of floor and tiles are parallel. Using tiles of $2\times 2$ dm$^2$ leaves the same amount of floor uncovered as using tiles of $4\times 4$ dm$^2$. Using $3\times 3$ dm$^2$ tiles leaves $29$ dm$^2$ floor uncovered. Determine $a$ and $b$.

2009 Switzerland - Final Round, 8

Tags: combinatorics , tiles , tiling , coloring

Given is a floor plan composed of $n$ unit squares. Albert and Berta want to cover this floor with tiles, with all tiles having the shape of a $1\times 2$ domino or a $T$-tetromino. Albert only has tiles from one color, while Berta has two-color dominoes and tetrominoes available in four colors. Albert can use this floor plan in $a$ ways to cover tiles, Berta in $ b$ ways. Assuming that $a \ne 0$, determine the ratio $b/a$.

2002 May Olympiad, 5

Tags: combinatorics , tiles

Find the maximum number of $3 \times 5\times 7$ boxes that can be placed inside a $11\times 35\times 39$ box. For the number found, indicate how you would place that number of boxes inside the box.

2010 Belarus Team Selection Test, 6.3

Tags: tiling , combinatorial geometry , combinatorics , tiles

A $50 \times 50$ square board is tiled by the tetrominoes of the following three types: [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/2/9/62c0bce6356ea3edd8a2ebfe0269559b7527f1.png[/img] Find the greatest and the smallest possible number of $L$ -shaped tetrominoes In the tiling. (Folklore)

1996 Tournament Of Towns, (505) 2

Tags: trapezoid , equilateral , tiles , geometry , combinatorics , combinatorial geometry

For what positive integers $n$ is it possible to tile an equilateral triangle of side $n$ with trapezoids each of which has sides $1, 1, 1, 2$? (NB Vassiliev)

2000 Chile National Olympiad, 6

Tags: rectangle , tiling , tiles , combinatorial geometry , combinatorics , geometry

With $76$ tiles, of which some are white, other blue and the remaining red, they form a rectangle of $4 \times 19$. Show that there is a rectangle, inside the largest, that has its vertices of the same color.

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]

2022 Federal Competition For Advanced Students, P2, 6

Tags: combinatorics , tiles , tiling

(a) Prove that a square with sides $1000$ divided into $31$ squares tiles, at least one of which has a side length less than $1$. (b) Show that a corresponding decomposition into $30$ squares is also possible. [i](Walther Janous)[/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.

2006 All-Russian Olympiad Regional Round, 8.6

Tags: combinatorics , tiles

In a checkered square $101 \times 101$, each cell of the inner square $99 \times 99$ is painted in one of ten colors (cells adjacent to the border of the square, not painted). Could it turn out that in every in a $3\times 3$ square, is exactly one more cell painted the same color as the central cell?

2004 Denmark MO - Mohr Contest, 5

Tags: combinatorics , combinatorial geometry , tiles , tiling

Determine for which natural numbers $n$ you can cover a $2n \times 2n$ chessboard with non-overlapping $L$ pieces. An $L$ piece covers four spaces and has appearance like the letter $L$. The piece may be rotated and mirrored at will.

2000 All-Russian Olympiad Regional Round, 10.4

Tags: combinatorics , tiles , combinatorial geometry

For what smallest $n$ can a $n \times n$ square be cut into squares $40 \times 40$ and $49 \times 49$ so that squares of both types are present?

Novosibirsk Oral Geo Oly VII, 2023.1

Tags: geometry , tiles , combinatorial geometry

Let's call a corner the figure that is obtained by removing one cell from a $2 \times 2$ square. Cut the $6 \times 6$ square into corners so that no two of them form a $2 \times 3$ or $3 \times 2$ rectangle together.

2014 Switzerland - Final Round, 4

Tags: combinatorics , tiling , tiles

The checkered plane (infinitely large house paper) is given. For which pairs (a,, b) one can color each of the squares with one of $a \cdot b$ colors, so that each rectangle of size $ a \times b$ or $b \times a$, placed appropriately in the checkered plane, always contains a unit square with each color ?

1996 Tournament Of Towns, (511) 4

Tags: combinatorics , tiles , tiling , combinatorial geometry

(a) A square is cut into right triangles with legs of lengths $3$ and $4$. Prove that the total number of the triangles is even. (b) A rectangle is cut into right triangles with legs of lengths $1$ and $2$. Prove that the total number of the triangles is even. (A Shapovalov)

2019 Centroamerican and Caribbean Math Olympiad, 6

Tags: combinatorics , tiles

A [i]triminó[/i] is a rectangular tile of $1\times 3$. Is it possible to cover a $8\times8$ chessboard using $21$ triminós, in such a way there remains exactly one $1\times 1$ square without covering? In case the answer is in the affirmative, determine all the possible locations of such a unit square in the chessboard.

2005 Chile National Olympiad, 7

Tags: combinatorics , tiles

Consider a $2\times2$ square with one corner removed from $1\times1$ , leaving a shape in the form of $L$ . [asy] unitsize(0.5 cm); draw((1,0)--(1,2)--(0,2)--(0,0)--(2,0)--(2,1)--(0,1)); [/asy] We will call this figure [i]triomino[/i]. Determine all values of $m, n$ such that a rectangle of $m\times n$ can be exactly covered with triominos.

2015 Caucasus Mathematical Olympiad, 3

Tags: combinatorics , tiling , tiles , combinatorial geometry

What is the smallest number of $3$-cell corners that you need to paint in a $5 \times5$ square so that you cannot paint more than one corner of one it? (Shaded corners should not overlap.)

2011 Cuba MO, 3

Tags: combinatorics , combinatorial geometry , tiles

We have a board of $ 2011 \times 2011$, divided by lines parallel to the edges into $1 \times 1$ squares. Manuel, Reinaldo and Jorge (at that time order) play to form squares with vertices at the vertices of the grid. The one who forms the last possible square wins, so that its sides do not cut the sides of any unit square. Who can be sure that he will win?

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]

2018 Iran MO (1st Round), 22

Tags: combinatorics , counting , tiles

There are eight congruent $1\times 2$ tiles formed of one blue square and one red square. In how many ways can we cover a $4\times 4$ area with these tiles so that each row and each column has two blue squares and two red squares?

2007 Cuba MO, 1

Tags: combinatorics , tiles

Pieces are placed in some squares of an $8 \times 8$ board sothat: a) There is at least one token in any rectangle with sides $2 \times 1$ or $1\times 2$. b) There are at least two neighboring pieces in any rectangle with sides $7\times 1$ or $1\times 7$. Find the smallest number of tokens that can be taken to fulfill with both conditions.

2018 Argentina National Olympiad, 3

Tags: geometry , combinatorics , combinatorial geometry , tiles , tiling

You have a $7\times 7$ board divided into $49$ boxes. Mateo places a coin in a box. a) Prove that Mateo can place the coin so that it is impossible for Emi to completely cover the $48$ remaining squares, without gaps or overlaps, using $15$ $3\times1$ rectangles and a cubit of three squares, like those in the figure. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/6/9/a467439094376cd95c6dfe3e2ad3e16fe9f124.png[/img] b) Prove that no matter which square Mateo places the coin in, Emi will always be able to cover the 48 remaining squares using $14$ $3\times1$ rectangles and two cubits of three squares.