Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
G.Simioni
15/02/2007
Abstract
Let L be a bounded region of the plane obtained by subtracting a small
rectangle b h from the corner of a bigger rectangle B H . We give a necessary and sucient condition for L to be tilable with nitely many squares.
Moreover we give a necessary and sucient condition for two L-Shapes to
admit topological equivalent tilings.
1 Introduction
In [1] Dehn proved that a rectangle can be tiled using nitely many squares
if and only if the ratio of its side lengths is a rational number. The proof
is based on the idea to create a system of linear equations with a unique
solution representing each such tiling.
Brooks, Smith, Stone, and Tutte [2] showed a way to represent that fact with
an electric point of view. They showed that the linear system is equivalent
to the system of equation describing the solution of an electric circuit based
on the Kircho's Laws.
This idea will be used together with the positivity of certain quantities of
resistive circuits, to nd a necessary and sucient condition for an L-Shape
to be tilable with nitely many squares.
1.1 Model
Let L be a L-Shape. We say that the L-Shape is B H b h if the L-Shape
is obtained by subtracting a small rectangle b h from the corner of a bigger
rectangle B H .
giovanni.simioni@gmail.com
h
b
H
B
2 Tiling L-Shapes
Our result is the following theorem:
B
H
"
b
h
=M
(1)
Mij ij ,
(2)
Mij Q
and
Thus:
"
"
b
h
B
H
B1 B2
H1 H2
"
=
#
"
#"
1
2
#"
b1 b2
h1 h2
B1 B2
H1 H2
#
"
=M
#"
1
2
1
2
b1 b2
h1 h2
#"
1
2
M=
B1 B2
H1 H2
2
#"
b1 b2
h1 h2
#1
Shapes admitting tiling with nitely many squares. There exists a tiling in
squares for both the L-Shapes if and only if there exists a matrix M such
that:
"
#
"
#
B1 B2
b1 b2
=M
H1 H2
h1 h2
and
|M | = 1,
Mij ij ,
Mij Q
In fact whenever such a matrix exists, then it coincides with the one appearing in Theorem 1 (Eq. 1). As discussed in Paragraph 3.1.1, the matrix
M is directly related to a simple tiling of the L-Shape. This implies that, if
two L-Shape have the same M , then they admit a common tiling.
On the other side, if the two L-Shapes admit the same tiling, the matrices
of Eq.3 are the same, because they come from the same topology, and this
means that such M exists.
3 Proof
3.1 Suciency Condition
In the following we will prove the suciency condition by providing a method
to obtain L-Shapes by successive addition of squares (or rectangles with rational ratio of side lengths, which is the same for [1]). The theorem is:
|M | = 1,
Mij ij ,
3
Mij Q
and
"
B
H
"
=M
b
h
a
7
ah
a
7
h
b
h
ba
b
We represent the rectangle b h by a (column) vector [b, h]T . Thus, the two
mappings Xa and Ya are linear functions from R2 into R2 , and they can be
represented by two matrices on Q eld.
"
Xa =
1 a
0 1
"
and Ya =
1 0
a 1
M=
1
0
m11 1
m21
#"
1
0
m21 1
#"
1
0
m22 1
m21
m21
Thus M G .
Moreover, by writing M in factors such Xa and Ya , we obtain a way of tiling
the L-Shape.
If B H bh"is tilable
with
many squares, then there exists a matrix
#
" nitely
#
B
b
M such that:
=M
and |M | = 1,
Mij ij ,
Mij Q
H
h
Let us begin by considering a L-Shape B H b h which is tilable
with nitely many squares.
We write a system of linear equations in the unknown quantities b, h, B, H, xk , yk
(cfr.[2]):
P
PkIi xk = B
kVi yk = H
yk = xk
i;
i; Rows
0 xk + b = B
PkIi
i;
kVi0 yk + h = H i; Columns
h = Rb
Tiling Topology
Where R = h/b, I is the set of indeces lying on the same row, I 0 is the set of
indexes of squares lying with b h on the same row, V is the set of indexes
of squares lying on the same column, V 0 is the set of indexes of the squares
lying with b h on the same column.
This linear system is equivalent to a Kircho set of equations (cfr. [2]) for
an electric network for which each resistance represents a tile (thus unit
5
V
I
"
R1 +R3
R1
R1 R2 +R1 R3 +R2 R3
R1
1
R1
R1 +R2
R1
#"
vR
iR
B
H
"
R1 +R2
R1
1
R1
R1 R2 +R1 R3 +R2 R3
R1
R1 +R3
R1
#"
b
h
(3)
4 Conclusions
We have given a necessary and sucient condition for L to be tilable with
nitely many squares. The result extends [1] and [5] and complete the result
in [6] in case of L-Shapes. In [6], the Authors give a necessary and sucient condition for Z-tiling (tiling with nitely many positive and negative
squares), which correspond to our condition |M | = 1. The idea of our proof
is to substitute part of the electric network considered in [2] with a simplied network for which we know that have rational resistances. The condition
found for this network is related to the positivity of the resistor matrix. The
method could be applied to the more general case of subsets of the plane
not necessary L-Shaped in order to nd more generic necessary conditions
for tiling.
References
[1] M.Dehn, Uber die Zerlegung von Rechtecken in Rechtecke, Math. Ann.
57 (1903), 314-322.
[2] R. Brooks, C. Smith, A. Stone and W. Tutte. The dissection of rectangles
into squares. Duke Math. J. 7 (1940), 312-340.
[3] M. Laczkovich and G. Szekeres. Tilings of the square with similar rectangles. Discrete Comput. Geom. 13 (1995), 569-572.
[4] F.Ardila, R.P. Stanley. Tilings.
[5] C.Freiling, R.Hunter, C.Turner, Wheeler, Russell. Tiling with squares
and anti-squares. Am. Math. Mon. 107, No.3, 195-204 (2000).
[6] K.Keating, J.King. Signed Tilings with squares
[7] W.Stevenson. Elements of Power System Analysis 3rd ed., McGraw Hill,
New York, 1975