Squared Squares - Numberphile
Numberphile・1 minute read
Trinity Maths Society's logo is a squared square made of different-sized squares, fitting together to form a 112 by 112 square. Students Arthur Stone, Cedric Smith, Roland Brooks, and Bill Tutte solved the squared square problem by converting rectangles into networks resembling electrical circuits and applying Kirchhoff laws.
Insights
- Trinity Maths Society's logo is a squared square made of different-sized squares, fitting together to form a 112 by 112 square.
- Bill Tutte, a chemistry student turned mathematician, became a pioneer in graph theory, crediting the squared square problem for his training in the field.
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Recent questions
Who solved the squared square problem?
Arthur Stone, Cedric Smith, Roland Brooks, and Bill Tutte
What is the Trinity Maths Society's logo?
A squared square made of different-sized squares
How did the students approach solving the squared square problem?
By converting rectangles into networks resembling electrical circuits
Who discovered the smallest squared square?
Bill Tutte
What field did Bill Tutte become a pioneer in?
Graph theory
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Summary
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Trinity Maths Society Solves Squared Square Problem
- Trinity Maths Society's logo is a squared square made of different-sized squares, fitting together to form a 112 by 112 square.
- The squared square problem was solved by Trinity Maths students Arthur Stone, Cedric Smith, Roland Brooks, and Bill Tutte.
- Initially, only two rectangles made of squares were found, with the students aiming to discover more systematically.
- By converting rectangles into networks resembling electrical circuits, the students applied Kirchhoff laws to solve the squared square problem.
- The students identified valid squared rectangles using networks, leading to the discovery of the first squared square using 55 squares.
- Bill Tutte found a squared square using 26 squares, with the smallest squared square eventually found using 21 squares.
- Bill Tutte, a chemistry student turned mathematician, became a pioneer in graph theory, crediting the squared square problem for his training in the field.
