A set is said to tile the integers if and only if the integers can be written as a disjoint union of translates of that set. We consider the problem of finding necessary and sufficient conditions for a finite set to tile the integers. For sets of prime power size, it was solved by D. Newman [J. Number Theory 9 (1977), 107--111]. We solve it for sets of size having at most two prime factors. The conditions are always sufficient, but it is unknown whether they are necessary for all finite sets.
When $\mathbb{Z}^d$ is represented as a finite disjoint union of translated integer sublattices, the translated sublattices must possess some special properties. Such a representation is called a \emph{lattice tiling}. We develop a theoretical framework, based on multiple residues and dual groups, to provide a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for such a lattice tiling to exist. We also investigate the question of when a lattice tiling must possess at least two translated sublattices which are translates of one another.
In this paper we introduce a new algebraic method in tilings. Combining this method with Hilbert's Nullstellensatz we obtain a necessary condition for tiling $n$-space by translates of a cluster of cubes. Further, the polynomial method will enable us to show that if there exists a tiling of $n$-space by translates of a cluster $V$ of prime size then there is a lattice tiling by $V$ as well. Finally, we provide supporting evidence for a conjecture that each tiling by translates of a prime size cluster $V$ is lattice if $V$ generates $n$-space.
Our earlier article proved that if $n > 1$ translates of sublattices of $Z^d$ tile $Z^d$, and all the sublattices are Cartesian products of arithmetic progressions, then two of the tiles must be translates of each other. We re-prove this Theorem, this time using generating functions. We also show that for $d \geq 1$, not every finite tiling of $Z^d$ by lattices can be obtained from the trivial tiling by the process of repeatedly subdividing a tile into sub-tiles that are translates of one another.
We characterize the polytopes in $\mathbb{R}^d$ (not necessarily convex or connected ones) which multi-tile the space by translations along a given lattice. We also give a necessary and sufficient condition for two polytopes in $\mathbb{R}^d$ to be equidecomposable by lattice translations.
We use Fourier methods to prove that if $n > 1$ translates of sublattices of $Z^d$ tile $Z^d$, and all the sublattices are Cartesian products of arithmetic progressions, then two of the tiles must be translates of each other. This is a multi-dimensional generalization of the Mirsky-Newman Theorem.
A finite collection $P$ of finite sets tiles the integers iff the integers can be expressed as a disjoint union of translates of members of $P$. We associate with such a tiling a doubly infinite sequence with entries from $P$. The set of all such sequences is a sofic system, called a tiling system. We show that, up to powers of the shift, every shift of finite type can be realized as a tiling system.
Integer compositions, integer partitions, Fibonacci numbers, and generalizations of these have recently been shown to be interconnected via two-toned tilings of horizontal grids. In this article, we present refinements of two-toned tilings, describe functions which analyze them, and apply these to generalizations of integer compositions and partitions which interpolate between the two.
In this paper, we propose an Integer Linear Model whose solutions are the aperiodic rhythms tiling with a given rhythm A. We show how this model can be used to efficiently check the necessity of the Coven-Meyerowitz's $(T2)$ condition and also to define an iterative algorithm that finds all the possible tilings of the rhythm A. To conclude, we run several experiments to validate the time efficiency of this model.
Suppose that A is a finite set of integers of diameter D. Suppose also that the set of integers B is such that A+B is a tiling of the integers, that is each integer is uniquely expressible as a+b, with a in A, b in B. It is well known that B must be a periodic set in this case. Here we study the relationship between the diameter D of A and the least period T of B. We show that T is at most C exp(C \sqrt D \log D \sqrt{\log\log D}) and that we can have T at least quadratic in D.
Recently there has been significant progress in classifying integer friezes and $\text{SL}_2$-tilings. Typically, combinatorial methods are employed, involving triangulations of regions and inventive counting techniques. Here we develop a unified approach to such classifications using the tessellation of the hyperbolic plane by ideal triangles induced by the Farey graph. We demonstrate that the geometric, numeric and combinatorial properties of the Farey graph are perfectly suited to classifying tame $\text{SL}_2$-tilings, positive integer $\text{SL}_2$-tilings, and tame integer friezes -- bot…
We show that a square-tiling of a $p\times q$ rectangle, where $p$ and $q$ are relatively prime integers, has at least $\log_2p$ squares. If $q>p$ we construct a square-tiling with less than $q/p+C\log p$ squares of integer size, for some universal constant $C$.
A finite set of integers $A$ tiles the integers by translations if $\mathbb{Z}$ can be covered by pairwise disjoint translated copies of $A$. Restricting attention to one tiling period, we have $A\oplus B=\mathbb{Z}_M$ for some $M\in\mathbb{N}$ and $B\subset\mathbb{Z}$. This can also be stated in terms of cyclotomic divisibility of the mask polynomials $A(X)$ and $B(X)$ associated with $A$ and $B$. In this article, we introduce a new approach to a systematic study of such tilings. Our main new tools are the box product, multiscale cuboids, and saturating spaces, developed through a combination…
Cao & Yuan obtained a Blichfeldt-type result for the vertex set of the edge-to-edge tiling of the plane by regular hexagons. Observing that every Archimedean tiling is the union of translates of a fixed lattice, we take a more general viewpoint and investigate basic questions for such point sets about the homogeneous and inhomogeneous problem in the Geometry of Numbers. The Archimedean tilings nicely exemplify our results.
Conway and Lagarias observed that a triangular region T(m) in a hexagonal lattice admits signed tiling by three-in-line polyominoes (tribones) if and only if m=9d-1 or m=9d for some integer d. We apply the theory of Groebner bases over integers to show that T(m) admits a signed tiling by n-in-line polyominoes (n-bones) if and only if m=dn^2-1 or m=dn^2 for some integer d. Explicit description of the Groebner basis allows us to calculate the "Groebner discrete volume" of a lattice region by applying the division algorithm to its `Newton polynomial'. Among immediate consequences is a description…
The notion of $SL_2$-tiling is a generalization of that of classical Coxeter-Conway frieze pattern. We classify doubly antiperiodic $SL_2$-tilings that contain a rectangular domain of positive integers. Every such $SL_2$-tiling corresponds to a pair of frieze patterns and a unimodular $2\times2$-matrix with positive integer coefficients. We relate this notion to triangulated $n$-gons in the Farey graph.
It is shown that if n<7, then each tiling of R^n by translates of the unit cube [0,1)^n contains a column; that is, a family of the form {[0,1)^n+(s+ke_i): k \in Z}, where s \in R^n, e_i is an element of the standard basis of R^n and Z is the set of integers.
The combinatorics of tilings of a hexagon of integer side-length $n$ by 120 degree - 60 degree diamonds of side-length 1 has a long history, both directly (as a problem of interest in thermodynamic models) and indirectly (through the equivalence to plane partitions). Formulae as products of factorials have been conjectured and, one by one, proven for the number of such tilings under each of the symmetries of the hexagon. However, when this note was written the entry for the number of distinct such tilings in the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (OEIS) consisted of little more than a ta…
Partitioning a set into similar, if not, identical, parts is a fundamental research topic in combinatorics. The question of partitioning the integers in various ways has been considered throughout history. Given a set $\{x_1, \ldots, x_n\}$ of integers where $x_1<\cdots<x_n$, let the {\it gap sequence} of this set be the nondecreasing sequence $d_1, \ldots, d_{n-1}$ where $\{d_1, \ldots, d_{n-1}\}$ equals $\{x_{i+1}-x_i:i\in\{1,\ldots, n-1\}\}$ as a multiset. This paper addresses the following question, which was explicitly asked by Nakamigawa: can the set of integers be partitioned into sets …
We count tilings of a rectangle of integer sides m-1 and n-1 by a special set of tiles. The result is obtained fron the study of the kernel of the adjacency matrix of an n x n rectangular graph of Z x Z.
Let K_4^3-2e denote the hypergraph consisting of two triples on four points. For an integer n, let t(n, K_4^3-2e) denote the smallest integer d so that every 3-uniform hypergraph G of order n with minimum pair-degree δ_2(G) \geq d contains \floor{n/4} vertex-disjoint copies of K_4^3-2e. Kühn and Osthus proved that t(n, K_4^3-2e) = (1 + o(1))n/4 holds for large integers n. Here, we prove the exact counterpart, that for all sufficiently large integers n divisible by 4, t(n, K_4^3-2e) = n/4 when n/4 is odd, and t(n, K_4^3-2e) = n/4+1 when n/4 is even. A main ingredient in our proof is the recent …
It is well known that if a finite set $A\subset\mathbb{Z}$ tiles the integers by translations, then the translation set must be periodic, so that the tiling is equivalent to a factorization $A\oplus B=\mathbb{Z}_M$ of a finite cyclic group. We are interested in characterizing all finite sets $A\subset\mathbb{Z}$ that have this property. Coven and Meyerowitz (1998) proposed conditions (T1), (T2) that are sufficient for $A$ to tile, and necessary when the cardinality of $A$ has at most two distinct prime factors. They also proved that (T1) holds for all finite tiles, regardless of size. It is no…
Let k_1,...,k_d be positive integers, and D be a subset of [k_1]x...x[k_d], whose complement can be decomposed into disjoint sets of the form {x_1}x...x{x_{s-1}}x[k_s]x{x_{s+1}}x...x{x_d}. We conjecture that the number of elements of D can be represented as a linear combination of the numbers k_1,..., k_d with non-negative integer coefficients. A connexion of this conjecture with the structure of periodical cube tilings is revealed.
We discuss problems of simultaneous tiling. This means that we have an object (set, function) which tiles space with two or more different sets of translations. The most famous problem of this type is the Steinhaus problem which asks for a set simultaneously tiling the plane with all rotates of the integer lattice as translation sets.
Let $S$ be a set of arbitrary objects, and let $S^d=\{v_1...v_d\colon v_i\in S\}$. A polybox code is a set $V\subset S^d$ with the property that for every two words $v,w\in V$ there is $i\in [d]$ with $v_i'=w_i$, where a permutation $s\mapsto s'$ of $S$ is such that $s''=(s')'=s$ and $s'\neq s$. If $|V|=2^d$, then $V$ is called a cube tiling code. Cube tiling codes determine $2$-periodic cube tilings of $\mathbb{R}^d$ or, equivalently, tilings of the flat torus $\mathbb{T}^d=\{(x_1,\ldots ,x_d)({\rm mod} 2):(x_1,\ldots ,x_d)\in \mathbb{R}^d\}$ by translates of the unit cube as well as $r$-perf…
The $k$-tiling problem for a convex polytope $P$ is the problem of covering $\mathbb R^d$ with translates of $P$ using a discrete multiset $Λ$ of translation vectors, such that every point in $\mathbb R^d$ is covered exactly $k$ times, except possibly for the boundary of $P$ and its translates. A classical result in the study of tiling problems is a theorem of McMullen that a convex polytope $P$ that 1-tiles $\mathbb R^d$ with a discrete multiset $Λ$ can, in fact, 1-tile $\mathbb R^d$ with a lattice $\mathcal L$. A generalization of McMullen's theorem for $k$-tiling was conjectured by Gravin, …
Given integer $k$ and a $k$-graph $F$, let $t_{k-1}(n,F)$ be the minimum integer $t$ such that every $k$-graph $H$ on $n$ vertices with codegree at least $t$ contains an $F$-factor. For integers $k\geq3$ and $0\leq\ell\leq k-1$, let $\mathcal{Y}_{k,\ell}$ be a $k$-graph with two edges that shares exactly $\ell$ vertices. Han and Zhao (JCTA, 2015) asked the following question: For all $k\ge 3$, $0\le \ell\le k-1$ and sufficiently large $n$ divisible by $2k-\ell$, determine the exact value of $t_{k-1}(n,\mathcal{Y}_{k,\ell})$. In this paper, we show that $t_{k-1}(n,\mathcal{Y}_{k,\ell})=\frac{n}…
The Hajnal--Szemerédi theorem states that for any integer $r \ge 1$ and any multiple $n$ of $r$, if $G$ is a graph on $n$ vertices and $δ(G) \ge (1 - 1/r)n$, then $G$ can be partitioned into $n/r$ vertex-disjoint copies of the complete graph on $r$ vertices. We prove a very general analogue of this result for directed graphs: for any integer $r \ge 4$ and any sufficiently large multiple $n$ of $r$, if $G$ is a directed graph on $n$ vertices and every vertex is incident to at least $2(1 - 1/r)n - 1$ directed edges, then $G$ can be partitioned into $n/r$ vertex-disjoint subgraphs of size $r$ eac…
Given a graph $G$ and collection of subgraphs $T$ (called tiles), we consider covering $G$ with copies of tiles in $T$ so that each vertex $v\in G$ is covered with a predetermined multiplicity. The multinomial tiling model is a natural probability measure on such configurations (it is the uniform measure on standard tilings of the corresponding "blow-up" of $G$). In the limit of large multiplicities we compute asymptotic growth rate of the number of multinomial tilings. We show that the individual tile densities tend to a Gaussian field with respect to an associated discrete Laplacian. We also…
The set B_{p,r}^q:=\{\floor{nq/p+r} \colon n\in Z \} with integers p, q, r) is a Beatty set with density p/q. We derive a formula for the Fourier transform \hat{B_{p,r}^q}(j):=\sum_{n=1}^p e^{-2 πi j \floor{nq/p+r} / q}. A. S. Fraenkel conjectured that there is essentially one way to partition the integers into m>2 Beatty sets with distinct densities. We conjecture a generalization of this, and use Fourier methods to prove several special cases of our generalized conjecture.
We describe a computer algorithm that searches for substitution rules on a set of triangles, the angles of which are all integer multiples of π/n. We find new substitution rules admitting 7-fold rotational symmetry at many different inflation factors.
Bipartite graph tiling was studied by Zhao who gave the best possible minimum degree conditions for a balanced bipartite graph on 2ms vertices to contain m vertex disjoint copies of K_{s,s}. Let s<t be fixed positive integers. Hladký and Schacht gave minimum degree conditions for a balanced bipartite graph on 2m(s+t) vertices to contain m vertex disjoint copies of K_{s,t}. Their results were best possible, except in the case when m is odd and t> 2s+1. We give the best possible minimum degree condition in this case.
We prove that for all integers $Δ,r \geq 2$, there is a constant $C = C(Δ,r) >0$ such that the following is true for every sequence $\mathcal{F} = \{F_1, F_2, \ldots\}$ of graphs with $v(F_n) = n$ and $Δ(F_n) \leq Δ$, for each $n \in \mathbb{N}$. In every $r$-edge-coloured $K_n$, there is a collection of at most $C$ monochromatic copies from $\mathcal{F}$ whose vertex-sets partition $V(K_n)$. This makes progress on a conjecture of Grinshpun and Sárközy.
Suppose $f\in L^1(\mathbb{R}^d)$, $Λ\subset\mathbb{R}^d$ is a finite union of translated lattices such that $f+Λ$ tiles with a weight. We prove that there exists a lattice $L\subset{\mathbb{R}}^d$ such that $f+L$ also tiles, with a possibly different weight. As a corollary, together with a result of Kolountzakis, it implies that any convex polygon that multi-tiles the plane by translations admits a lattice multi-tiling, of a possibly different multiplicity. Our second result is a new characterization of convex polygons that multi-tile the plane by translations. It also provides a very efficien…
For a fixed integer h>=1, let G be a tripartite graph with N vertices in each vertex class, N divisible by 6h, such that every vertex is adjacent to at least 2N/3+h-1 vertices in each of the other classes. We show that if N is sufficiently large, then G can be tiled perfectly by copies of K_{h,h,h}. This extends the work in [19] and also gives a sufficient condition for tiling by any (fixed) 3-colorable graph. Furthermore, we show that this minimum-degree condition is best possible and provide very tight bounds when N is divisible by h but not by 6h.
Translational tilings by axis-parallel polygonal sets
NYU Center for Data Science（纽约大学数据科学中心）；Charles University（查理大学）；Northwestern University（西北大学）；Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University（弗吉尼亚理工大学）
We say that two sets $S,T\subset\{1,2,\dots,n\}$ are chord separated if there does not exist a cyclically ordered quadruple $a,b,c,d$ of integers satisfying $a,c\in S-T$ and $b,d\in T-S$. This is a weaker version of Leclerc and Zelevinsky's weak separation. We show that every maximal by inclusion collection of pairwise chord separated sets is also maximal by size. Moreover, we prove that such collections are precisely vertex label collections of fine zonotopal tilings of the three-dimensional cyclic zonotope. In our construction, plabic graphs and square moves appear naturally as horizontal se…
An irregular vertex in a tiling by polygons is a vertex of one tile and belongs to the interior of an edge of another tile. In this paper we show that for any integer $k\geq 3$, there exists a normal tiling of the Euclidean plane by convex hexagons of unit area with exactly $k$ irregular vertices. Using the same approach we show that there are normal edge-to-edge tilings of the plane by hexagons of unit area and exactly $k$ many $n$-gons ($n>6$) of unit area. A result of Akopyan yields an upper bound for $k$ depending on the maximal diameter and minimum area of the tiles. Our result complement…
When extending the Ehrhart lattice point enumerator $L_P(t)$ to allow real dilation parameters $t$, we lose the invariance under integer translations that exists when $t$ is restricted to be an integer. This paper studies this phenomenon; in particular, it is shown that, for full-dimensional $P$, not only there are infinitely many different functions $L_{P + w}(t)$ (for integer $w$), but that for rational $P$ the collection of these functions identifies $P$ uniquely.
Let $P$ be a partially ordered set. If the Boolean lattice $(2^{[n]},\subset)$ can be partitioned into copies of $P$ for some positive integer $n$, then $P$ must satisfy the following two trivial conditions: (1) the size of $P$ is a power of $2$, (2) $P$ has a unique maximal and minimal element. Resolving a conjecture of Lonc, it was shown by Gruslys, Leader and Tomon that these conditions are sufficient as well. In this paper, we show that if $P$ only satisfies condition (2), we can still almost partition $2^{[n]}$ into copies of $P$. We prove that if $P$ has a unique maximal and minimal elem…
In a recent paper Garber, Gavrilyuk and Magazinov proposed a sufficient combinatorial condition for a parallelohedron to be affinely Voronoi. We show that this condition holds for all five-dimensional Voronoi parallelohedra. Consequently, the Voronoi conjecture in $\mathbb R^5$ holds if and only if every five-dimensional parallelohedron is combinatorially Voronoi. Here, by saying that a parallelohedron $P$ is combinatorially Voronoi, we mean that the tiling $\mathcal T(P)$ by translates of $P$ is combinatorially isomorphic to some tiling $\mathcal T(P')$, where $P'$ is a Voronoi parallelohedro…
