8 × 8 8\times8

There is an 8 × 8 8\times8 square. The top left field is black, the others are white. You can colour a white 1 × 1 1\times1 square to black, if it shares an edge with an odd number of black squares (diagonals don't count). Could it be that at some point the whole square will be black?

Yes, it could be. No, it can't happen

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2 solutions

Áron Bán-Szabó
Jun 29, 2017

Let's look at the black polygon's perimeter. In the beginning it's perimeter is 4 4 .

  • If we color a cell which has 1 1 adjacent black square, then the perimeter grows by 2 2 .

  • If we color a cell which has 3 3 adjacent black squares, then the perimeter decreases by 2 2 .

So suppose yes, it could be. Then we have to color 63 63 squares. Since by two coloring the perimeter grows by 4 , 0 4, 0 or 4 -4 , after the 62 62 . coloring the perimeter will be divisible by 4 4 , so after 63 63 coloring, the perimeter won't be divisible by 4 4 . (It will make 2 2 remainder.) But the whole square's perimeter is 4 × 8 = 32 4\times 8=32 , which is not possible.

So the answer is: No, it can't happen.

H K
Jun 29, 2017

It is supposed that by yellow you mean white, so if it would be possible, then you must be able to place the last black square but since all others are black already, it is adjecent to 0 white squares: contradiction.

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