
A perfect rectangle is a rectangle that can be divided into squares of different sizes. If a perfect rectangle is specifically a square, it is analogously called a perfect square.
A rectangle that is not perfect is also called an imperfect rectangle.[1]
Discoverers of Perfect Rectangles (Selection)
Many mathematicians have been involved in the discovery of perfect rectangles and perfect squares.
Below is a selection of important discoveries in this field.
- 1925: Zbigniew Moroń decomposed a perfect smallest possible 33×32 rectangle into nine squares.
- 1939: The German mathematician Roland Sprague published a large perfect square with 55 squares.
- 1978: A. J. W. Duijvestijn dissected a perfect square into 21 squares with a total side length of 112, where 21 is the lowest possible number of subsquares of perfect squares.[2]
Perfect Rectangles with Special Properties
Among the numerous perfect rectangles and squares, the following selected examples are intended to highlight some special features.[3]
(The numbers in the squares indicate their respective side lengths.)
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Smallest possible perfect rectangle (9 squares, Moroń)
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Perfect rectangle with many squares (22 squares)
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Almost symmetrical perfect rectangle (12 squares)
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Elongated perfect rectangle (17 squares)
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Perfect rectangle with a remarkably large side length of 7 for the smallest sub-square (10 squares)
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Smallest possible simple perfect square (21 squares, Duijvestijn)
References
- ^ Perfect rectangle Wolfram MathWorld
- ^ Perfect Square Dissection Wolfram MathWorld
- ^ Perfect rectangles: an extensive collection of perfect rectangles
External links
- Perfect Rectangle Maths2Mind
- Perfect Rectangle Michael Holzapfel’s Homepage
- “Did you know…?” (Perfect Rectangle) Math projects from the University of Giessen for elementary school students
- Perfect Rectangles Extensive collection of perfect rectangles on iread.it