December 2005

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Answer:

If P is the V pentomino f(P)=4/13.  This can be achieved as follows.  Consider the integer lattice, L, generated by (2,3) and (5,1).  This has density 1/13. The blocking configuration consists of L shifted by (0,1),(0,-1), (1,0) and (-1,0).  This has density 4/13 and it is easy to see it bars P (the V pentomino) from the infinite checkerboard.  See below where we illustrate a 13x13 block where X's denote blocked squares and .'s denote unblocked squares.  This block has density 4/13 and can be used to tile the infinite checkerboard.

        ..X..X...X.X.
        X...X.X...X..
        .X...X..X...X
        X..X...X.X...
        ..X.X...X..X.
        ...X..X...X.X
        .X...X.X...X.
        X.X...X..X...
        .X..X...X.X..
        ...X.X...X..X
        X...X..X...X.
        ..X...X.X...X
        .X.X...X..X..

This problem was first considered by Golomb ("Polyominoes", Scribner's, New York, 1965, pp 42-45).  Golomb found blocking configurations of density 1/3 which he believed to be minimal.  The above less dense blocking configuration was found by Klamkin and Liu ("Polyominoes on the Infinite Checkerboard", J. Combinatorial Theory Series A, 28(1980), p. 7-16).  A proof of optimality can be found in "Barring Rectangles from the Plane" (Barnes and Shearer, Journal of Combinatorial Theory Series A, 33(1982), p. 9-29).


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