We define a chessboard polygon to be a polygon whose edges are situated along lines of the form x=a and y=b, where a and b are integers. These lines divide the interior into unit squares, which we call cells.
Let n and k be positive integers. Assume that a square can be partitioned into n congruent chessboard polygons of k cells each. Prove that this square may also be partitioned into k congruent chessboard polygons of n cells each.
Solution
Solution:
Note that nk=s2 for some s. By Factor Lemma, pick n=ab, k=cd, and s=ac=bd. Now we can tile the board with a×b rectangles!
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