Plane Figures

Polyomino

In a plane, an arrangement of n congruent squares joined to one another by at least one of their sides.
  • A polyomino formed by 2 squares is called a domino.
  • The 2 polyominoes formed by 3 squares are called trominoes.
  • The 5 polyominoes formed by 4 squares are called tetrominoes.
  • The 12 polyominoes formed by 5 squares are called pentominoes.
  • The 35 polyominoes formed by 6 squares are called hexominoes.

Examples

  • These are the 12 pentominoes: The eight pentominoes in blue illustrate the possible nets of a box without a lid.

Numériser 2

  • The 35 hexominoes: The eleven hexominoes in red illustrate the possible nets of a cube.

Historical note

The term "polyomino" was first used in 1952 by Solomon W. Golomb, a professor at the University of Southern California in the United States. This concept inspired the development of popular games like Tetris and Pentamino.

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