n(n+1) table

It is given 200 × 201 200\times201 table. Find a maximum number of cells we can paint so that any 2 × 2 2\times2 square contains at most two painted cells.

Problem based on Serbian math competitions.
Image Credit: Flickr James Gilleen .


The answer is 20200.

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1 solution

We can observe a 200 × 200 200\times 200 table (without a last column). This part of table we can divide on 20 0 2 4 \frac{200^2}{4} disjoint squares with dimensions 2 × 2 2\times 2 , so in this part we can paint at most 2 20 0 2 4 2\cdot \frac{200^2}{4} cells. In last column we have 200 cells, so in this table is painted at most 20 0 2 4 + 200 = 200 101 \frac{200^2}{4}+200=200\cdot 101 cells. If we paint every second column (starting at first column) we obtain requested painting and number of painted cells is 20200

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