Sunday, December 16, 2012

Weekend puzzle -- Count the Squares

I really like this one. The solution is easy and requires only basic math and good pattern recognition. If you don't spot the pattern, however, you've got a slog ahead of you.


There are hundreds of squares in this picture with dimensions ranging from 1x1 to 12x12. Exactly how many squares are there?

I've got a more detailed pedagogical discussion of the problem at You Do the Math. I'll post the answer in the comments section of this post later in the week.
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4 comments:

  1. bobaDecember 17, 2012 at 7:34 PM

    The answer would hinge on whether all the squares must be used (144) or whether the answer could include any outline. The former can be done with arithmetic; the latter is a graduate study in topology if you add direction.

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    Replies
    1. MarkDecember 17, 2012 at 8:27 PM

      That's what I get for writing for a math crowd.

      Delete
  2. MarkDecember 17, 2012 at 8:32 PM

    The answer is 1^2 + 2^2 + 3^2 + ... + 12^2. I go into a bit more detail on why this works at You Do the Math

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  3. Haw YoungOctober 23, 2019 at 9:03 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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