Determine for which values of $n$ it is possible to tile a square of side $n$ with figures of the type shown in the picture [asy] unitsize(0.4 cm); draw((0,0)--(5,0)); draw((0,1)--(5,1)); draw((1,2)--(4,2)); draw((2,3)--(3,3)); draw((0,0)--(0,1)); draw((1,0)--(1,2)); draw((2,0)--(2,3)); draw((3,0)--(3,3)); draw((4,0)--(4,2)); draw((5,0)--(5,1)); [/asy]

Let $ n$ be a positive integer. A $4\times n$ rectangular grid is divided in$ 2\times 1$ or $1\times 2$ rectangles (as if it were completely covered with tiles of domino, no overlaps or gaps). Then all the grid points which are vertices of one of the $2\times 1$ or $1\times 2$ rectangles, are painted red. What is the least amount of red points you can get?

Given are two positive integers $k$ and $n$ with $k \le n \le 2k - 1$. Julian has a large stack of rectangular $k \times 1$ tiles. Merlin calls a positive integer $m$ and receives $m$ tiles from Julian to place on an $n \times n$ board. Julian first writes on every tile whether it should be a horizontal or a vertical tile. Tiles may be used the board should not overlap or protrude. What is the largest number $m$ that Merlin can call if he wants to make sure that he has all tiles according to the rule of Julian can put on the plate?

(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]

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 $b/a$.

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]

1. Can a $7 \times 7~$ square be tiled with the two types of tiles shown in the figure? (Tiles can be rotated and reflected but cannot overlap or be broken) 2. Find the least number $N$ of tiles of type $A$ that must be used in the tiling of a $1011 \times 1011$ square. Give an example of a tiling that contains exactly $N$ tiles of type $A$. [asy] size(4cm, 0); pair a = (-10,0), b = (0, 0), c = (10, 0), d = (20, 0), e = (20, 10), f = (10, 10), g = (0, 10), h = (0, 20), ii = (-10, 20), j = (-10, 10); draw(a--b--c--f--g--h--ii--cycle); draw(g--b); draw(j--g); draw(f--c); draw((30, 0)--(30, 20)--(50,20)--(50,0)--cycle); draw((40,20)--(40,0)); draw((30,10)--(50,10)); label((0,0), "$(A)$", S); label((40,0), "$(B)$", S); [/asy] [i]Proposed by Muralidharan Somasundaran[/i]

An equilateral triangle side $10$ is divided into $100$ equilateral triangles of side $1$ by lines parallel to its sides. There are m equilateral tiles of $4$ unit triangles and $25 - m$ straight tiles of $4$ unit triangles (as shown below). For which values of $m$ can they be used to tile the original triangle. [The straight tiles may be turned over.]

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]

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

An $8 \times 11$ rectangle of unit squares somehow becomes disassembled into $21$ contiguous parts . Prove that at least two of these parts, except for rotations and reflections have the same shape.

Fix an integer $n \ge 2$ and let $A$ be an $n\times n$ array with $n$ cells cut out so that exactly one cell is removed out of every row and every column. A [i]stick [/i] is a $1\times k$ or $k\times 1$ subarray of $A$, where $k$ is a suitable positive integer. (a) Determine the minimal number of [i]sticks [/i] $A$ can be dissected into. (b) Show that the number of ways to dissect $A$ into a minimal number of [i]sticks [/i] does not exceed $100^n$. proposed by Palmer Mebane and Nikolai Beluhov [hide=a few comments]a variation of part a, was [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c6h1389637p7743073]problem 5[/url] a variation of part b, was posted [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c6h1389663p7743264]here[/url] this post was made in order to complete the post collection of RMM Shortlist 2017[/hide]

Define a "hook" to be a figure made up of six unit squares as shown below in the picture, or any of the figures obtained by applying rotations and reflections to this figure. [asy] unitsize(0.5 cm); draw((0,0)--(1,0)); draw((0,1)--(1,1)); draw((2,1)--(3,1)); draw((0,2)--(3,2)); draw((0,3)--(3,3)); draw((0,0)--(0,3)); draw((1,0)--(1,3)); draw((2,1)--(2,3)); draw((3,1)--(3,3)); [/asy] Determine all $ m\times n$ rectangles that can be covered without gaps and without overlaps with hooks such that - the rectangle is covered without gaps and without overlaps - no part of a hook covers area outside the rectangle.

A stromino is a $3 \times 1$ rectangle. Show that a $5 \times 5$ board divided into twenty-five $1 \times 1$ squares cannot be covered by $16$ strominos such that each stromino covers exactly three squares of the board, and every square is covered by one or two strominos. (A stromino can be placed either horizontally or vertically on the board.) [i]Proposed by Navilarekallu Tejaswi[/i]

Jiiri and Mari both wish to tile an $n \times n$ chessboard with cards shown in the picture (each card covers exactly one square). Jiiri wants that for each two cards that have a common edge, the neighbouring parts are of different color, and Mari wants that the neighbouring parts are always of the same color. How many possibilities does Jiiri have to tile the chessboard and how many possibilities does Mari have? [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/7/3/9c076eb17ba7ae7c000a2893c83288a94df384.png[/img]

Find all positive integers $m,n$ such that the $m \times n$ grid can be tiled with figures formed by deleting one of the corners of a $2 \times 3$ grid. [i]usjl, ST[/i]