Problem of the Month

• Everyone is welcome to participate, but only undergraduate OU students are eligible for the prizes.
• At the end of the academic year, a prize will be awarded to the undergraduate OU students with the most correct solutions.
• A complete solution to the problem must include a proof.
• Solutions to the Problem of the Month can be submitted in the Math Department's office (PHSC 423), or via email to nickmbmiller [at] ou [dot] edu
• Make sure that your submission includes your name and OU email.
• The deadline for submission is the last day of the month.
• The problem of the month during the summer months of May, June, July, and August will not be graded and are just for fun.

Winners of the academic year 2023/24 is Jacob Norris.

November 2024

Spooky scary skeletons

Suppose we are given a spooky game board, which is a grid with m rows and n columns, and that we are also given two types of scary skeleton pieces, one which is 1x3 and the other which is 2x5, which we may arrange on the spooky board either vertically or horizontally. For what values of (m,n) can we completely cover the spooky board with scary skeletons which are non-overlapping?