Back to Mathematical Olympiad
Difficulty: 4/102023 IOQM 2023 (Q8)

Given 2 × 2 tile and seven dominoes (2 × 1 tile), find the number of ways of tiling (that is, cover without leaving gaps and without overlap of any two tiles) 2 × 7 rectangle using some of these tiles.

Guide / Hint

Hint 1: Start by analyzing the initial conditions and setting up the basic equations. an = 2an – 2 + an – 1.

Hint 2: Look for algebraic properties, symmetry, or geometric theorems to simplify. a1 = 1, a2 = 3.

Hint 3: Proceed with the final algebraic steps to solve the system. a3 solve for the final valuea1 + a2 solve for the final value(1) + 3 solve for the final value.

Solution

Step 1: an = 2an – 2 + an – 1

Step 2: a1 = 1, a2 = 3

Step 3: a3 = 2a1 + a2 = 2(1) + 3 = 5

Step 4: a4 = 2a2 + a3 = 2(3) + 5 = 11

Step 5: a5 = 2a3 + a4 = 2(5) + 11 = 21

Step 6: a6 = 2(11) + 21 = 43

Step 7: a7 = 2(21) + 43 = 42 + 43 = 85

Ready to track your progress and master these topics?

Create a free account