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Questions tagged [tiling]

For questions about mathematical tiling.

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3 votes
0 answers
83 views

Distance spectra of uniform tilings

Let a uniform tiling be defined by a vertex configuration $(n_1.n_2.\cdots.n_k)^m$, which is either spherical, Euclidean or hyperbolic. Assume that the tiling is vertex-transitive, especially that ...
4 votes
1 answer
284 views

Structures for random graphs with structure

Background[You may skip this and go immediately to the Definitions.] Crucial features of a (random) graph or network are: the degree distribution $p(d)$ (exponential, Poisson, or power law) the mean ...
3 votes
1 answer
212 views

Monotile that tiles when you apply a rubber band

My (non-mathematician) friend asked me a physics/tilings question that maybe someone here is interested in dissecting, or can point to the literature if this problem has been studied. Does there ...
4 votes
1 answer
139 views

Does every locally compact connected homogeneous metric space admit a vertex-transitive 'grid'?

This is a followup to this easier version of this question on MSE, which Lee Mosher answered in the positive in the special case that $X$ is a hyperbolic space. It's also vaguely related to this ...
3 votes
1 answer
84 views

Tilings of lattice polytopes by transformations of lattice polytopes

A quasi-lattice polytope is a polytope obtained by reflections, translations, and rotations of lattice polytopes. In a tiling of a lattice polytope by quasi-lattice polytopes, are all quasi-lattice ...
1 vote
1 answer
202 views

Overlaying two domino-like constructions such that all individual pairs of domino-like cells in the overlay have matching symbols

Imagine I have two $n$ x $m$ assemblies of $P = (n*m)$ unit square cells on the plane, $(c_{(a,1)}, ..., c_{(a,P)}) \in A$ and $(c_{(b,1)}, ..., c_{(b,P)}) \in B$, where every cell, $c_k$, in a ...
4 votes
2 answers
595 views

Domino tiling obtained from space-filling curves, is possible to predict basic properties?

Periodic and aperiodic domino tiling systems can be obtained by the following construction rules: Draw a regular square grid n×n of n2 cells. Select a space-filling curve that is consistent with ...
1 vote
1 answer
126 views

Is there a rectangular tiling based on the Padovan sequence? [closed]

I'm thinking of developing a rectangular tiling based on the Padovan sequence (think of the Fibonacci mosaic). It seems like something that should exist, but I can't find anything in the literature. ...
35 votes
5 answers
3k views

Tiling the plane with incongruent isosceles triangles

It is not difficult to tile the plane with incongruent triangles. One could tile with equilateral triangles, and then partition each equilateral into three triangles, displacing their common ...
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

What Islamic tiling patterns are constructible?

Eric Broug in his book Islamic Geometric Patterns gives straightedge and compass construction of some simpler patterns. It is clear his techniques will provide constructions for many Islamic patterns. ...
5 votes
3 answers
434 views

Can local flip moves connect dimer matchings on 'quadrangulated' planar bipartite graphs? (perfect matching reconfiguration problem)

I'm interested in the structure of dimer matchings on planar graphs with a bipartite structure. In particular, I'm interested in whether any two perfect matchings can be connected, i.e. transformed ...
4 votes
1 answer
340 views

Triangling the triangle

Is it possible to tile an equilateral integer-sided triangle with smaller equilateral integer-sided triangles, with no congruent triangles touching? This has been answered in the negative for the case ...
1 vote
0 answers
390 views

Generalizations of classical tiling problem

A classic problem using an inductive construction is to show that the $2^n \times 2^n$-square, with a missing corner, can be tiled with L-triominoes. The proof goes like this: It is true for $n=1$, ...
2 votes
0 answers
142 views

Tradeoffs in translation-invariant tilings of $\mathbb{R}^3$

Suppose I tile $\mathbb{R}^3$ in a ($\mathbb{Z}^3$-)translation-invariant manner. If we insist on the tiling being regular, then we are left with only the cubic tiling. However, suppose that we ...
7 votes
1 answer
354 views

Changing tiles by swapping squares

In an $n\times n$ table, initially there is a $1\times n$ tile in each row. A swap is an operation that involves choosing two tiles, move one square from the first to the second tile, and ...
3 votes
0 answers
137 views

Aperiodic tile with rational area

Margulis and Mozes constructed aperiodic tiling system on the hyperbolic plane consisting of a single tile(hyperbolic polygon) whose area (or each inner angle) is irrational multiple of $\pi$. Having ...
12 votes
2 answers
454 views

Random Walk on Pentagonal Tiling

I’ve recently been looking at closed walks on tilings of the plane in which the “player” can move from one tile to any of its edge-adjacent neighbors. In particular, I’m trying to find asymptotic ...
11 votes
1 answer
499 views

Tiling with incommensurate triangles

Say that two triangles are incommensurate if they do not share an edge length or a vertex angle, and their areas differ. Suppose you'd like to tile the plane with pairwise incommensurate triangles. I ...
7 votes
3 answers
981 views

Tiling a square with rectangles whose areas or perimeters are 1, 2, 3, ..., N

For which positive integers N does there exist a square that can be completely tiled with N rectangles of integer sides whose areas or perimeters are precisely 1, 2, 3, ..., N?
2 votes
0 answers
182 views

Graphs determined by monohedral, edge-to-edge tilings of the plane

Let $\cal T$ be a monohedral, edge-to-edge tiling of the plane, with prototile $T$ a simple polygon, and with one edge $e^*$ of $T$ distinguished. Associate a graph $G=G_{\cal T}$ with $\cal T$ as ...
2 votes
0 answers
222 views

Periodic tilings of the plane with fundamental domain given by $k$ squares of prescribed size

Given $k$ strictly positive real numbers $l_1,\dots,l_k$, can one decide the existence of a periodic tiling of the plane whose fundamental domain is the union of $k$ squares of length $l_1,\dots,l_k$?...
4 votes
0 answers
73 views

Unbalanced colourings of Penrose tiles

It is known that both the rhombus and kite-and-dart Penrose tilings are three-colourable, from Babilon, Robert. "3-colourability of Penrose kite-and-dart tilings." Discrete Mathematics 235, no. 1-3 (...
5 votes
0 answers
157 views

Tiling rectangles using all squares of sides 1, 2, 3, ..., n

Do integers n greater than 2 exist such that all the squares of sides 1, 2, 3, ..., n can be partitioned into two or more sets (none a singleton) each of whose squares can be used to tile a rectangle?
11 votes
1 answer
393 views

Growing a chain of unit-area triangles: Fills the plane?

Define a process to start with a unit-area equilateral triangle, and at each step glue on another unit-area triangle.                     $50$ ...
4 votes
1 answer
222 views

Tiling the surface of a hypersphere with regular simplices

Let $S^{n-1} = \{x \in \mathbb{R}^n : x_1^2 + \cdots + x_n^2 = 1\}$. Consider a regular spherical simplex, obtained e.g. by taking a hyperspherical cap, picking $n$ equally-spaced points $P = \{p_1, \...
5 votes
0 answers
105 views

Hooks, monomers, dimers and Young diagrams: Part II

As promised, I've upgraded my last question. Consider the $k$-by-$n$ partition $\lambda_n=(n,\dots,n)$ and its corresponding Young diagram $Y_{n,k}$, which is a $k\times n$ rectangle of cells. Now, ...
4 votes
0 answers
154 views

Hooks, monomers, dimers and Young diagrams: Part I

Following Richard Stanley's pointers regarding my earlier MO question, I decided to "scale-down" the problem and add a slight "twist" to it. Consider the one-line partition $\lambda_n=(n)$ and its ...
5 votes
0 answers
150 views

monomer-dimer tiling of a Young diagram

As a modest start, I propose the below problem for a special set of partitions. Perhaps it is known. Let $\lambda_n=(n,n-1,\dots,2,1)$ be the staircase partition and its corresponding Young diagram $...
20 votes
2 answers
2k views

"a shape that ... lies halfway between a square and a circle"

An article in the Notices of the AMS, Volume 61, Issue 10, 2014 (PDF download link), on Khot's Unique Games Conjecture, says this: Another group ... found a shape that in a certain sense lies ...
4 votes
0 answers
146 views

Tiling squares with oblongs

An oblong is a rectangle whose width and length are consecutive integers: 1x2, 2x3, 3x4, etc. Does N exist such that it is possible to split the first N oblongs into 2 or more non-intersecting sets so ...
4 votes
0 answers
206 views

Generating a Penrose tessellation around a given tile

Given a starting Penrose tile, I need to build a "spiraling" tessellation around it. The following picture illustrates the request: In this example, the starting tile is a "thin rhombus" (the pink ...
5 votes
0 answers
119 views

What (if anything) is the connection between the Feit-Higman Theorem and the regular plane tilings?

Here are two facts that are superficially similar. Tiling Theorem: The only regular tilings of $\mathbb{R}^2$ are achieved by triangles, squares, and hexagons. Feit-Higman Theorem: The only finite ...
3 votes
0 answers
109 views

chromatic number of plane using Cairo pentagonal tiling

Scale the Cairo pentagonal tiling so the short side is of length 1. Then it is easy to colour the tiling with 8 colours, two parallel ribbons of four colours each, to establish that the chromatic ...
10 votes
1 answer
329 views

Is there a triangle which makes dense set of angles by drawing medians?

This problem is a restatement of this question, first announced in MathStackExchange. We start with a triangle $T$ in the Euclidean plane and we define $A_n$ as the set of angles of the $6^n$ ...
2 votes
0 answers
111 views

dividing a square into unique rectangles with the same perimeter

There's a solution for dividing a square into unique rectangles with the same area which is the blanche dissection. There's also a solution for dividing a square into unique rectangles with the same ...
4 votes
0 answers
164 views

Tileability and computabilty

Let $n>2$ be an integer. We consider $n$ pairs $(x_1,y_1),\dotsc,(x_n,y_n)$ in $\mathbb{N}^2$, and the polygon defined by drawing a straight line from $(x_k, y_k)$ to $(x_{k+1},y_{k+1})$ and from $(...
1 vote
0 answers
196 views

Squares as sum of squares

For which positive integers n is $n^2$ the sum of precisely n smaller positive squares? Of these n x n squares, which can be actually cut into n smaller squares?
1 vote
0 answers
125 views

Minimal period for a bounded Langton's ant moving on a tessellation

We consider Langton's ant on the 2D plane, but we replace the square lattice by a Voronoi tessellation obtained from a finite set of points (it could be another tessellation, however directions such ...
1 vote
1 answer
149 views

Order question about pentagonal tiling type 9 and type 10

People found there were only existing 15 types of pentagonal tiling after one hundred years' work, see Pentagonal tiling. These 15 types of pentagonal was named by finding date except type 9 and type ...
4 votes
1 answer
413 views

Lights Out game over GF(p)

On Jaap's Puzzle Page http:// www.jaapsch.net/puzzles/lomath.htm#domtilings Theorem 7 says: If standard Lights Out is played on a m x n grid-like board, ...
5 votes
2 answers
408 views

Smallest tile to *isohedrally* tessellate the hyperbolic plane

Is there a smallest tile (in terms of diameter) that isohedrally tessellates the hyperbolic plane? In this question, we ask the same question without the isohedral requirement, and the answer was no. ...
20 votes
2 answers
2k views

Smallest tile to tessellate the hyperbolic plane

Is it known what the smallest tile (in terms of area) that can tessellate the hyperbolic plane is? In particular, it should tessellate the plane by itself. I think it will be a Triangle group, but I'...
1 vote
1 answer
163 views

Are there polygonal tilings with infinitely many positions, each (or at least one) occurring infinitely often?

My recent question about polygonal tilings where tiles can occur in infinitely many positions has been answered by two nice constructions (besides Jan Kyncl's answer, there is the Conway tessellation ...
10 votes
1 answer
401 views

How many positions of a tiling polygon can occur simultaneousy?

Let $T$ be a polygon which tiles the plane. For an instance of $T$ (mirrored or not), call the set of its translates a position of $T$. My question: How many different positions can occur in ...
3 votes
0 answers
106 views

How many positions of a tile can occur in a periodic tiling?

In my recent question about polygonal tilings where tiles can occur in infinitely many positions, both constructions given as solutions are of self-similar nature. This means in particular that there ...
9 votes
1 answer
282 views

Thinnest covering of the plane by regular pentagons

Q. Is it known what is the thinnest covering of the infinite plane by regular pentagons? By covering I mean every point of the plane is covered. By thinnest I mean the proportion of the plane covered ...
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to divide a square into three similar rectangles

Preparing some exercises for my High School pupils I came across this question: How can you tile a square into three similar (ie., same shape, different size) rectangles? With a bit of algebra it can ...
4 votes
1 answer
878 views

"Aztec Diamond" analogue for Square-Octagon graph

I have been reading David Speyer's Perfect Matchings and the Octahedron Recurrence, trying to carry out his "cross-wrenches" generalization of the Aztec diamond. In what follows, I'm asking for a ...
16 votes
2 answers
1k views

Are Penrose tilings universal? Do aperiodic universal tilings exist?

Consider a tiling of the plane using tiles of at least two types (e.g, a Penrose tiling such as that shown at the bottom of this question, which tiles the plane with two types of tiles). List the tile ...
11 votes
1 answer
406 views

Thinnest 2-fold coverings of the plane by congruent convex shapes

It is an unsolved problem to determine the "thinnest" $2$-fold covering of the plane by disks. The $2$-fold coverage problem by disks is to find the minimum number of congruent (unit-radius) disks ...