BLACK AND WHITE

TILES
A MATHEMATICS INVESTIGATION BY

KAREN M. GARDOSE
ALTHEA C. GUANZON
CATHY ROSE G. GARANCHO
HEGIE N. LASERNA
CHRISTIAN REX M. HIÑOLA
 I. Introduction

Floor tiling is very common nowadays. Almost everywhere,

structures are made up of concrete and floor tiling is one of the
priorities of the people when strength and durability are taken into
consideration. A tile is usually a flat piece of hard clay, stone or material
that is used for covering the walls, floors, etc. A tile is made up of
different patterns and designs depending on one’s own preferences.
Tiles are like puzzles. Just like in puzzle, each tile must be put into its
right place and every tile is distinct form one another; hence, it is
incomplete and meaningless without the other pieces.
Situation:
3 2
Figure Figure
5 3
Figure 1

Figure
74
Figure 5
9

Investigate!!!
II. Statement of the Problem

This mathematical investigation aimed to find a pattern or

formula that could give the total number of tiles needed to tile certain
places.
Specifically it sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the total number of tiles that can be used given n (n is odd)
number of tiles across (tiles from one side to the opposite)?
2. What is the total number of black tiles used given n (n is odd)
number of tiles across (tiles from one side to the opposite) (?
3. What is the total number of white tiles given n (n is odd) number of
tiles across (tiles from one side to the opposite)?
III. Exploration/Data Gathering:

n Illustration No. of No. of Total No.

black tiles white tiles of Tiles
1 1 0 1

3 4 1 5

5 9 4 13
III. Exploration/Data Gathering:
n Illustration No. of No. of Total No.
black tiles white tiles of Tiles

7 16 9 25

9 25 16 41
III. Exploration/Data Gathering:

Total No. of
n No. of Black Tiles No. of White Tiles
Tiles

1 1 0 1
3 1 4
3 4 2 1 2 5 2
5 3 8
5 9 2 4 2 13 2
7 5 12
7 16 2 9 2 25 2
9 7 16
25 16 41
9

n
 a. Total number of Tiles
𝑓 𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛2 + 𝑏n + 𝑐
(Eq. 1)
𝑓 𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛2 + 𝑏n + 𝑐
𝑓 1 =𝑎+𝑏+𝑐 =1
1 2 1 𝑛2 + 1
𝑓 3 = 9𝑎 + 3𝑏 + 𝑐 = 5 (Eq. 2) = 𝑛 + =
2 2 2
𝑓 5 = 25𝑎 + 5𝑏 + 𝑐 = 13 (Eq. 3)

−9𝑎 − 9𝑏 − 9𝑐 = −9 (-9Eq1) −25𝑎 − 25𝑏 − 25𝑐 = −25 (-25Eq. 1) (Eq. 5)

20𝑏 + 24𝑐 = 12
9𝑎 + 3𝑏 + 𝑐 = 5 (Eq. 2) 25𝑎 + 5𝑏 + 𝑐 = 13 (Eq.3) −18𝑏 − 24𝑐 = −12 (3Eq.4)
−6𝑏 − 8𝑐 = −4 (Eq. 4) −20𝑏 − 24𝑐 = −12 (Eq. 5)
𝑏=0
−6 0 − 8𝑐 = −4 (Eq.4) 1
𝑎−0+ =1 (Eq.1)
−8𝑐 = −4 2
1 Conjecture 1:
1 𝑎 =1−
𝑐= 2 The total number of tiles that can be
2
1 used given n (n is odd) number of
𝑎= tiles across is determined by the
2 𝑛2 +1
formula .
2
 b. Total no. of Black Tiles
2
𝑓 𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛 + 𝑏n + 𝑐 𝑓 𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛2 + 𝑏n + 𝑐
1 1 1 1
𝑓 1 =𝑎+𝑏+𝑐 =1 (Eq. 1) = 𝑛2 + n + = (𝑛2 + 2n + 1ቁ
4 2 4 4
1 2
𝑓 3 = 9𝑎 + 3𝑏 + 𝑐 = 4 (Eq. 2) = n+1
4
2
𝑓 5 = 25𝑎 + 5𝑏 + 𝑐 = 9 (Eq. 3) n+1
=
2

9𝑎 + 9𝑏 + 9𝑐 = −9 (9Eq.1) 25𝑎 + 25𝑏 + 25𝑐 = 25 (25Eq.1) 20𝑏 + 24𝑐 = 16

9𝑎 + 3𝑏 + 𝑐 = 4 (Eq. 2) 25𝑎 + 5𝑏 + 𝑐 = 9 (Eq. 3) −18𝑏 − 24𝑐 = −15
6𝑏 + 8𝑐 = 5 (Eq. 4) 20𝑏 + 24𝑐 = 16 (Eq. 5) 1
𝑏=
1 1 1 2
6 + 8𝑐 = 5 (Eq. 4) 𝑎+ + =1 (Eq. 1)
2 2 4
3 + 8𝑐 = 5 3 Conjecture 2:
8𝑐 = 5 − 3 𝑎 =1− The total number of black tiles that
4
1 can be used given n (n is odd)
1 𝑛+1
𝑐= 𝑎= number of tiles across is ( )2 .
4 4 2
 c. Total no. of White Tiles
𝑓 𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛2 + 𝑏n + 𝑐
𝑓 𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛2 + 𝑏n + 𝑐 1 1 1 1
= 𝑛2 − 𝑛 + = (𝑛2 − 2n + 1ቁ
𝑓 1 =𝑎+𝑏+𝑐 =0 (Eq.1) 4 2 4 4
1
= n−1 2
𝑓 3 = 9𝑎 + 3𝑏 + 𝑐 = 1 (Eq.2) 4
2
n−1
𝑓 5 = 25𝑎 + 5𝑏 + 𝑐 = 4 (Eq.3) =
2

9𝑎 + 9𝑏 + 9𝑐 = 0 (9Eq.1) 25𝑎 + 25𝑏 + 25𝑐 = 0 (25Eq.1) 20𝑏 + 24𝑐 = −4 (Eq.5)

9𝑎 + 3𝑏 + 𝑐 = 1 (Eq.2) 25𝑎 + 𝑏 + 𝑐 = 4 (Eq.3) −18𝑏 − 24𝑐 = 3 (-3Eq.4)
6𝑏 + 8𝑐 = −1 (Eq.4) 1
20𝑏 + 24𝑐 = −4 (Eq.5)
1 𝑏=−
1 1 2
6 + 8𝑐 = −1 (Eq.4)
2 𝑎 − + = 0 (Eq.1)
2 4 Conjecture 3:
−3 + 8𝑐 = −1 1
𝑎− =0 The total number of white tiles that
8𝑐 =2 6 can be used given n (n is odd)
1 𝑛−1 2
1
𝑎= number of tiles is ( ) .
𝑐= 2
4 4
IV. Conjectures

1. The total number of tiles that can be used given n (n is odd) number of
𝑛2 +1
tiles across is determined by the formula .
2
2. The total number of black tiles that can be used given n(n is odd) number
𝑛+1 2
of tiles across is ( ) .
2
3. The total number of white tiles that can be used given n(n is odd) number
𝑛−1
of tiles is ( )2 .
2
V. Testing and Verifying
i. By Counting

n Illustration No. of No. of Total No.

black tiles white tiles of Tiles
1 1 0 1
3
4 1 5

9 4 13
V. Testing and Verifying
i. By Counting

n Illustration No. of No. of Total No.

black tiles white tiles of Tiles
7

16 9 25

25 16 41
V. Testing and Verifying
ii. By Formula
No. of black tiles No. of white tiles Total number of
n 𝑛 +1 2 𝑛 −1 2 𝑛 2 +1
( ) ( ) tiles ( )
2 2 2
1−1 2 0
1+1 2 2 ( ) = ( )2
( ) = ( ) 2 = 12 2 2 12 + 1 2
1 2 2 = =1
= 02 2 2
=1
=0
3−1 2 2
3+1 2 4 ( ) = ( )2
( ) = ( ) 2 = 22 2 2 32 + 1 10
3 2 2 = =5
= 12 2 2
=4
=1
5−1 2 4
5+1 2 6 ( ) = ( )2
( ) = ( ) 2 = 32 2 2 52 + 1 26
5 2 2 = = 13
= 22 2 2
=9
=4
7−1 2 6
7+1 2 8 ( ) = ( )2
( ) = ( ) 2 = 42 2 2 72 + 1 50
7 2 2 = = 25
= 32 2 2
= 16
=9
9−1 2 8
9+1 2 10 ( ) = ( )2
( ) = ( )2 2 2 92 + 1 82
9 2 2 = = 41
= 42 2 2
= 52 = 25
= 16
𝑛+1 2 𝑛−1 2 𝑛2 + 1
n ( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2
IV. Justification/Proof:
Conjecture 1
The total number of tiles that can be used given n number of tiles
𝑛2 +1
across is determined by the formula
2

x n=(2x-1) 𝑛2 + 1
2
1
1 1 1
1
4 1+4
2 3 1+4(1)
5
8 1+4+8
3 5 1+4(1)+4(2)
13
12 1+4+8+12
4 7 1+4(1)+4(2)+4(3)
25
1+4+8+12+16
5 9 16
1+4(1)+4(2)+4(3)+4(4)
41
i. by Direct 𝑆𝑥 = 1 + 4 + 8 + 12 + 16 + ⋯ + 4𝑥 − 4
Proof 𝑆𝑥 = 1 + 4 1 + 4 2 + 4 3 + 4 4 + ⋯ + 4 𝑥 − 1
= 1 + 4 1 + 2 + 3 + ⋯+ 𝑥 − 1
𝑥−1 𝑥
=1+4
2
=1+2 𝑥 𝑥−1
𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑛 = 2𝑥 − 1
𝑛+1
𝑥=
2
𝑛+1 𝑛+1
𝑆𝑛 = 1 + 2 −1
2 2
𝑛+1−2
𝑆𝑛 = 1 + 𝑛 + 1
2
𝑛2 − 1
𝑆𝑛 = 1 +
2
2
2+𝑛 −1
𝑆𝑛 =
2
𝑛2 + 1
𝑆𝑛 =
2
Conjecture 2
The total number of black tiles that can be used given n number of
𝑛+1 2
tiles across is determined by the formula
2

2
𝑛+1
x n=(2x-1)
2

1 1 1 1
3
2 3 4 1+3
5
9
3 5 1+3+5
7
16
4 7 9 1+3+5+7
25
5 9 1+3+5+7+9
i. by Direct
Proof 𝑆𝑥 = 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + ⋯ + (2𝑋 − 1)
+ 𝑆 = 2𝑋 − 1 + 2𝑋 − 3 + ⋯ + 3 + 1
𝑥

2𝑆𝑥 = 2𝑋 + 2𝑋 + 2𝑋 … . .

𝑆𝑥 = (2𝑋 ∗ 𝑋 )Τ2

𝑆𝑥 = 𝑥 2

𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑛 = 2𝑥 − 1
𝑛+1
𝑥=
2
2
𝑛+1
𝑆𝑛 =
2
Conjecture 3
The total number of white tiles that can be used given n number of
𝑛−1 2
tiles across is determined by the formula .
2

2
x n=(2x-1) 𝑛−1
2
0
1 1 0
1
2 3 1 0+1
3
3 5 4 0+1+3
5
4 7 9 0+1+3+5
7
5 9 16 0+1+3+5+7
i. by Direct
Proof 𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑛 = 2𝑥 − 1
𝑆𝑥 = 0 + 1 + 3 + 5 + ⋯ + 2𝑋 − 3 + ⋯ 𝑛+1
𝑥=
+ 𝑆𝑥 = 2𝑋 − 3 + 2𝑋 − 5 + ⋯ + 3 + 1 + 0 2
2
2𝑆𝑥 = 2 + (2𝑋 + 2𝑋 + 2𝑋 + ⋯ ) 𝑛+1
𝑆𝑛 = −1
2
2
2𝑆𝑥 = 2 + 2𝑋(𝑋 − 2) 𝑛+1−2
𝑆𝑛 =
2 2𝑋 𝑋 − 2 2
𝑆𝑥 = + 𝑛−1
2
2 2
𝑆𝑛 =
𝑆𝑥 = 1 + 𝑋(𝑋 − 2) 2
𝑆𝑥 = 1 + 𝑋² − 2𝑋
𝑆𝑥 = 𝑋² − 2𝑋 + 1
𝑆𝑥 = (𝑥 − 1)2
VI. Summary
As the researchers find for a certain problem that is to be
investigated, they tend to read books, searched around, and
scanned different sources, until they stumbled upon the picture in
the internet which shows black and white tiles. It caught their
attention and from there, they decided to take the situation as their
investigation. They tried to manipulate the tiles in order to find an
equation or pattern that could help them identify the total number
of tiles needed in order to tile for example a diamond shape floor
by just knowing the number of tiles across. The investigation dealt
with finding the formula that would give an easier way or another
way to determine the total number of tiles needed to tile an area.
VI. Summary
At the same time they consider the situation where there are
two colors of tile involved so that they could determine the total
number of tiles needed that should be provided for that given color
of tile. Furthermore, the investigation was limited only to a certain
area which can occupy an odd number of tiles across.
This investigation could be useful to architects in making
their floor plans and contractors or construction workers in tiling the
floor of a certain building. It can help them in estimating the total
number of tiles (alternating black and white tiles) that can fill their
floor area other than that of measuring the entire area and dividing
it with the dimensions of one piece of tile. It can also save time and
effort without sacrificing the beauty, strength and durability of floor
design.
VII. Possible Extension
The following ideas are recommended for extension of the
investigation:
1. Find a formula/pattern in the following illustrations to determine the total
number of tiles included and also the colored and white tiles needed.

n Illustration

4
n Illustration

8
n Illustration

10