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

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $177$

Square of Squares

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

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.

Sources

• 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Geometrical Problems: Dissection Puzzles: $177$. -- Square of Squares
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Geometrical Problems: Dissection Puzzles: $343$. Square of Squares