Answer to Question #250835 in Combinatorics | Number Theory for ruqi

Question

1.      A tailor wants to make square shaped towels. The required squared pieces of cloth will be cut from a ream of cloth which is 20 meters in length and 16 meters in width.

a)     Find the minimum number of squared pieces that can be cut from the ream of cloth without wasting any cloth.

b)     Briefly explain the technique you used to solve (a).

 

Answer 1

a)

1 towel 16x16 and 4 towels 4x4

Total: 5 towels

b)

minimal number of squared pieces from 20x16 is 1 piece of 16x16

The rest is 4x16

From piece 4x16 we can make minimal number of 4 pieces 4x4