Table of contents |
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Introduction |
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The Initial Solution |
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Visualizing the Problem |
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The Final Verdict |
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Conclusion |
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Have you ever heard of the chessboard and dominos puzzle? It goes like this - there is an 8 by 8 chessboard with two diagonally opposite corners cut off. Can you use 31 dominos to cover the entire board?
At first glance, it seems like 31 dominos would be enough to cover the remaining 62 squares of the chessboard. After all, one domino can cover exactly two squares. But unfortunately, the answer is no.
To understand why it is impossible, let's visualize the problem. Each domino will always cover one black and one white square. Therefore, 31 dominos will cover 31 black squares and 31 white squares exactly. However, on this particular chessboard, we must have 32 black and 30 white squares (if we cut the corners with white squares), or 32 white and 30 black squares (if we cut the corners with black squares).
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Chessboard and Dominos
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Hence, it is not possible to cover the entire board using only 31 dominos. This puzzle is known as an unsolvable problem.
This puzzle may seem straightforward at first, but it actually requires some critical thinking to solve. It is a great exercise for the brain and can help improve problem-solving skills. Next time you come across a problem that seems unsolvable, remember this puzzle and keep working at it until you find a solution.