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Leroy Quet
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2003 10:51 pm
Guest
If we have, for even m,

m/2 black squares of
2*2
4*4
6*6
8*8
....
m*m

and m/2 black rectangles of
1*(m-1)
3*(m-3)
5*(m-5)
7*(m-7)
...
(m-1)*1

and we have

m/2 white squares of
1*1
3*3
5*5
7*7
....
(m-1)*(m-1)

and m/2 white rectangles of
2*m
4*(m-2)
6*(m-4)
8*(m-6)
...
m*2

then we have the same total area for all of the white
squares/rectangles as for the black squares/rectangles (which is
easily shown using algebra).

My question is, which I have not been able to do yet myself (though I
have not tried really hard),

can all of the squares/rectangles be arranged in some way so that it
becomes visually obvious that the total areas between the black and
white are the same for every even m?

( This is similar to the "Proof Without Words" in the MAA's
Mathematics Magazine.)

thanks,
Leroy Quet
Leroy Quet
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2003 6:11 pm
Guest
qqquet@mindspring.com (Leroy Quet) wrote in message news:<b4be2fdf.0312221951.8e76136@posting.google.com>...
Quote:
If we have, for even m,

m/2 black squares of
2*2
4*4
6*6
8*8
...
m*m

and m/2 black rectangles of
1*(m-1)
3*(m-3)
5*(m-5)
7*(m-7)
..
(m-1)*1

and we have

m/2 white squares of
1*1
3*3
5*5
7*7
...
(m-1)*(m-1)

and m/2 white rectangles of
2*m
4*(m-2)
6*(m-4)
8*(m-6)
..
m*2

then we have the same total area for all of the white
squares/rectangles as for the black squares/rectangles (which is
easily shown using algebra).

My question is, which I have not been able to do yet myself (though I
have not tried really hard),

can all of the squares/rectangles be arranged in some way so that it
becomes visually obvious that the total areas between the black and
white are the same for every even m?

( This is similar to the "Proof Without Words" in the MAA's
Mathematics Magazine.)

thanks,
Leroy Quet



I am surprised that no one has replied to this question yet.
Sad

It may be easier to use the 3rd dimension and arrange boxes having the
above dimensions plus each a depth of 1.

Is there any obvious 2-d or 3-d arrangements??

thanks,
Leroy Quet
 
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