Tiling L-Shapes with Finitely Many Squares

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:

Theorem 1 (Necessary and sucient condition) The L-Shape BH

b h is tilable with nitely many squares if and only if:
"

B
H

"

b
h

=M

(1)

for a matrix M with entries in Q, such that:

|M | = 1,

Mij ij ,

(2)

Mij Q

The theorem is proven in Chapter 3.

First of all we want to show that the condition in Theorem 1 can be easily
tested. In order to satisfy the condition, the two linear spaces on Q must be
identical:
< b, h >=< B, H >
The case dim< b, h >= 1 has been studied and has a well known solution
(cfr. for example [5]).
Let suppose that dim < b, h >= 2. In such a scenario, the matrix M is
unique and an explicit formula can be obtained by linear algebra. In fact,
let 1 , 2 be a basis for < b, h >.
Let us write b = 1 b1 + 2 b2 , h = 1 h1 + 2 h2 and so on. We have:
"

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

Since 1 and 2 are linearly independent, so we can remove the column

[1 , 2 ]T , obtaining:
"

M=

B1 B2
H1 H2
2

#"

b1 b2
h1 h2

#1

E.g., we can write M in an explicit form based on a classical result of linear

algebra:
"
#
1
Bh bB
M=
bh H h bH
where is a bilinear antisimmetric form which is not null on the linear space
< 1 , 2 >.
The second result of this paper is the solution of the following question
involving L-Shapes:
Let L1 and L2 be two L-Shapes each admitting a tiling with nitely many
squares; there exist a tiling for both the L-Shapes?
Here and in the following we say that the topology of the two tilings is
the same, when they give the same linear system of equations, even if the
measures of the sides of the rectangles may dier. The answer of this question
is given by the following corollary of Theorem 1:

Corollary 1 (L-Shapes with the same Tiling) Let L1 and L2 be two L-

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:

Suciency Condition Let B H b h be an L-Shape. If there exists a matrix M such that:

|M | = 1,

Mij ij ,
3

Mij Q

and

"

B
H

"

=M

b
h

then, B H b h is tilable with nitely many squares.

We will now describe the method to obtain L-Shape by adding squares to
an initial rectangle. We will prove that, if the suciency conditions are satised, then our method tiles B H b h.

3.1.1 A simple way to tile L-Shapes

We will stat with a small rectangle b h and we will add successively squares
to its sides. In order to do this, we consider the monoid G of the mappings
generated by the composition of these two mappings:

Xa with a Q that maps the starting rectangle b h to the rectangle

(b + ha) h.
X

a
7

ah

Ya with a Q that maps the starting rectangle b h to the rectangle

b (h + ba).
Y

a
7

h
b

h
ba

The eect of both the mappings is to create a new rectangle by adding

rational ratio rectangle (i.e. squares) to one side of the starting rectangle.
Any element of G can be written as a composition of the preceding mappings.
For example:
Xa2 Ya1

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

Since any element of G is a linear function, it admits a matrix representation.

Such a representation can be obtained by the product of matrices Xa and
Ya :
G G G = Xa1 Ya2 XaK1 YaK
4

We prove that, if the sucinecy condition is satised, then, the matrix M

in Eq.1 is associated to an element of G . This follows from the this decomposition of M :
"

M=

1
0

m11 1
m21

#"

1
0
m21 1

#"

1
0

m22 1
m21

which is valid for det M = 1.

Since all the entries of the three matrices appearing in such a decomposition
are positive (it follows from mij ij ) and mij Q, we can write:

M = X m11 1 Ym21 X 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.

3.2 Necessary Condition

In order to prove the necessary condition we will use the idea in [2] to subsitute the tiling with an electric network. Here we will use general results from
electric theory involving the positivity of resistance matrix of every passive
network.

Necessary Condition Let B H b h be an 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

resistances represent squares), the nodes correspond to the horizontal line

segments of the tiling, the current through a wire represents the side length
of the corresponding rectangle and the voltage drop of a resistance is the
height of the corresponding rectangle.
We will be interested in particular in three nodes:

A terminal P 1 representing the top horizontal line of the larger rectangle B H ;

A terminal P 3 representing the bottom horizontal line of the rectangle
B H;
A terminal P 2 with a resistor with resistance R = h/b between the
node P 1 and the node P 2, corresponding to the rectangle b h;
Since the current represents the side length of tiles, the current through R
is b and the current between P 1 and P 3 is B ; more over since the voltage
drop of a resistance is the height of the corresponding tile, the voltage drop
of R is h and the voltage drop between P 1 and P 3 is H .
If we cut the resistance h/b from the network, the net become a 3-terminals
network P 1, P 2, P 3.
Using a classical result from the theory of resistive circuits (E.g.[7]), we can
substitute the 3-terminals network with an equivalent star network costituted
of one central node of the star, P 0, and the three external nodes P 1, P 2 and
P 3, where:

between P 1 and P 0 there is a resistor with resistance R1 ;

between P 2 e P 0 there is a resistor with resistance R2 ;
between P 3 e P 0 there is a resistor with resistance R3 .
The measures of the resistances R1 , R2 , R3 are positive and rational; in fact
in principle we can compute each value for any particular tiling, as a rational
function of the total resistances between each couple of nodes P 1, P 2, P 3,
for example using Wye-Delta transformations [7]. These values are rational
by construction, thus R1 , R2 , R3 Q
We have thus obtained a simplied network. If we add the resistor R between
P 1 and P 2, we can calculate the voltage drops and the currents of network,
using Kirchho Laws.
If we add a generator with voltage V between the nodes P 1 and P 3, the
solution of the network is:
"

V
I

"

R1 +R3
R1
R1 R2 +R1 R3 +R2 R3
R1

1
R1
R1 +R2
R1

#"

vR
iR

Now, we substitute the values V = H , I = B , vR = h, iR = b:

"

B
H

"

R1 +R2
R1
1
R1

R1 R2 +R1 R3 +R2 R3
R1
R1 +R3
R1

#"

b
h

(3)

This matrix satises the conditions of the Theorem 1. Q.e.d.

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