Let $k$ and $n$ be integers such that $k\ge 2$ and $k \le n \le 2k-1$. Place rectangular tiles, each of size $1 \times k$, or $k \times 1$ on a $n \times n$ chessboard so that each tile covers exactly $k$ cells and no two tiles overlap. Do this until no further tile can be placed in this way. For each such $k$ and $n$, determine the minimum number of tiles that such an arrangement may contain.

Show that for each integer $n > 0$, there is a polygon with vertices at lattice points and all sides parallel to the axes, which can be dissected into $1 \times 2$ (and / or $2 \times 1$) rectangles in exactly $n$ ways.

A $5\times 5$ board is covered by eight hooks (a three unit square figure, shown in the picture) so that one unit square remains free. Determine all squares of the board that can remain free after such covering. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/6/8/a8c4e47ba137b904bd28c01c1d2cb765824e6a.png[/img]

A square is divided into $25$ small squares. We draw diagonals of some of the small squares so that no two diagonals share a common point (not even a common endpoint). What is the largest possible number of diagonals that we can draw? (I Rubanov)

We have $10$ identical tiles as shown. The tiles can be rotated, but not flipper over. A $7 \times 7$ board should be covered with these tiles so that exactly one unit square is covered by two tiles and all other fields by one tile. Designate all unit sqaures that can be covered with two tiles. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/d/5/6602a5c9e99126bd656f997dee3657348d98b5.png[/img]

We consider tilings of a rectangular $m \times n$-board with $1\times2$-tiles. The tiles can be placed either horizontally, or vertically, but they aren't allowed to overlap and to be placed partially outside of the board. All squares on theboard must be covered by a tile. (a) Prove that for every tiling of a $4 \times 2010$-board with $1\times2$-tiles there is a straight line cutting the board into two pieces such that every tile completely lies within one of the pieces. (b) Prove that there exists a tiling of a $5 \times  2010$-board with $1\times 2$-tiles such that there is no straight line cutting the board into two pieces such that every tile completely lies within one of the pieces.

For any triple $(a, b, c)$ of positive integers, not all equal, We are given sufficiently many rectangular blocks of size $a \times b \times c$. We use these blocks to fill up a cubic box of edge $10$. (a) Assume we have used at least $100$ blocks. Show that there are two blocks, one of which is a translate of the other. (b) Find a number smaller than $100$ (the smaller, the better) for which the above statement still holds.

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?

Let $n$ be a positive integer. An equilateral triangle with side $n$ will be denoted by $T_n$ and is divided in $n^2$ unit equilateral triangles with sides parallel to the initial, forming a grid. We will call "trapezoid" the trapezoid which is formed by three equilateral triangles (one base is equal to one and the other is equal to two). Let also $m$ be a positive integer with $m<n$ and suppose that $T_n$ and $T_m$ can be tiled with "trapezoids". Prove that, if from $T_n$ we remove a $T_m$ with the same orientation, then the rest can be tiled with "trapezoids".

A $7 \times 7$ square is made up of $16$ $1 \times 3$ tiles and $1$ $1 \times 1$ tile. Prove that the $1 \times 1$ tile lies either at the centre of the square or adjoins one of its boundaries .

Determine all positive integers $n$ for which the square $n \times n$ can be cut into squares $2\times 2$ and $3\times3$ (with the sides parallel to the sides of the big square).

Show that we cannot tile a $10 x 10$ board with $25$ pieces of type $A$, or with $25$ pieces of type $B$, or with $25$ pieces of type $C$.

In the illustration, a regular hexagon and a regular octagon have been tiled with rhombuses. In each case, the sides of the rhombuses are the same length as the sides of the regular polygon. (a) Tile a regular decagon ($10$-gon) into rhombuses in this manner. (b) Tile a regular dodecagon ($12$-gon) into rhombuses in this manner. (c) How many rhombuses are in a tiling by rhombuses of a $2002$-gon? Justify your answer. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/8/a/8413e4e2712609eba07786e34ba2ce4aa72888.png[/img]

A tiling of the plane with polygons consists of placing the polygons in the plane so that interiors of polygons do not overlap, each vertex of one polygon coincides with a vertex of another polygon, and no point of the plane is left uncovered. A unit polygon is a polygon with all sides of length one. It is quite easy to tile the plane with infinitely many unit squares. Likewise, it is easy to tile the plane with infinitely many unit equilateral triangles. (a) Prove that there is a tiling of the plane with infinitely many unit squares and infinitely many unit equilateral triangles in the same tiling. (b) Prove that it is impossible to find a tiling of the plane with infinitely many unit squares and finitely many (and at least one) unit equilateral triangles in the same tiling.

We say that a polygon is rectangular when all of its angles are $90^\circ$ or $270^\circ$. Is it true that each rectangular polygon, which sides are with length equal to odd numbers only, [u]can't[/u] be covered with 2x1 domino tiles?

You have a large number of congruent equilateral triangular tiles on a table and you want to fit $n$ of them together to ma€ke a convex equiangular hexagon (i.e. one whose interior angles are $120^o$) . Obviously, $n$ cannot be any positive integer. The first three feasible $n$ are $6, 10$ and $13$. Determine if $19$ and $20$ are feasible .

By a $\emph{tile}$ we mean a polyomino (i.e. a finite edge-connected set of cells in the infinite grid). There are many ways to place a tile in the infinite table (rotation is allowed but we cannot flip the tile). We call a tile $\textbf{T}$ special if we can place a permutation of the positive integers on all cells of the infinite table in such a way that each number would be maximum between all the numbers that tile covers in at most one placement of the tile. 1. Prove that each square is a special tile. 2. Prove that each non-square rectangle is not a special tile. 3. Prove that tile $\textbf{T}$ is special if and only if it looks the same after $90^\circ$ rotation.

A given triangle is divided into $n$ triangles in such a way that any line segment which is a side of a tiling triangle is either a side of another tiling triangle or a side of the given triangle. Let $s$ be the total number of sides and $v$ be the total number of vertices of the tiling triangles (counted without multiplicity). (a) Show that if $n$ is odd then such divisions are possible, but each of them has the same number $v$ of vertices and the same number $s$ of sides. Express $v$ and $s$ as functions of $n$. (b) Show that, for $n$ even, no such tiling is possible

(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]

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

Square $600\times 600$ is divided into figures of four types, shown in figure. In the figures of the two types, shown on the left, in painted black, the cells recorded number $2^k$, where $k$ is the number of the column, where is this cell (columns numbered from left to right by numbers from $1$ to $600$). Prove that the sum of all recorded numbers are divisible by $9$. [asy] // Set up the drawing area size(10cm,0); defaultpen(fontsize(10pt)); unitsize(0.8cm); // A helper function to draw a single unit square // c = coordinates of the lower-left corner // p = fill color (default is white) void drawsq(pair c, pen p=white) { fill(shift(c)*unitsquare, p); draw(shift(c)*unitsquare); } // --- Shape 1 (left) --- // 2 columns, 3 rows, black square in the middle-left drawsq((1,1), black); // middle-left black drawsq((2,0)); // bottom-right drawsq((2,1)); // middle-right drawsq((2,2)); // top-right // --- Shape 2 (next to the first) --- // 2 columns, 3 rows, black square in the middle-right drawsq((4,0)); drawsq((4,1)); drawsq((4,2)); drawsq((5,1), black); // middle-right black // --- Shape 3 (the "T" shape, 3 across the bottom + 1 in the middle top) --- drawsq((7,0)); drawsq((8,0)); drawsq((9,0)); drawsq((8,1)); // --- Shape 4 (the "T" shape, 3 across the top + 1 in the middle bottom) --- drawsq((11,1)); drawsq((12,1)); drawsq((13,1)); drawsq((12,0)); [/asy]

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?

* Given $\vartriangle ABC$, divide it into the minimal number of parts so that after being flipped over these parts can constitute the same $\vartriangle ABC$.

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]

Two right isosceles triangles of legs equal to $1$ are glued together to form either an isosceles triangle - called [i]t-shape[/i] - of leg $\sqrt2$, or a parallelogram - called [i]p-shape[/i] - of sides $1$ and $\sqrt2$. Find all integers $m$ and $n, m, n \ge 2$, such that a rectangle $m \times n$ can be tilled with t-shapes and p-shapes.