Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/177 - Square of Squares

by : $177$

 * Square of Squares
 * Cutting only along the lines, what is the smallest number of square pieces into which the diagram can be dissected?


 * Dudeney-Puzzles-and-Curious-Problems-177.png


 * The largest number possible is, of course, $169$, where all the pieces will be of the same size -- one cell -- but we want the smallest number.
 * We might cut away the border on two sides, leaving one square $12 \times 12$, and cutting the remainder into $25$ little squares, making $25$ in all.
 * This is better than $169$, but considerably more than the fewest possible.