Let $n$ be a positive integer. An $n$-level honeycomb is a plane region covered with regular hexagons of side-length 1 connected along edges, such that the centres of the boundary hexagons are lined up along a regular hexagon of side-length $n \sqrt{3}$. The diagram shows a 2-level honeycomb from which the central hexagon has been removed. A trex is a sequence of 3 hexagons with collinear centres such that the middle hexagon shares an edge with each of its neighbours in the trex. An $n$-level honeycomb from which the central size-1 hexagon has been removed is to be completely covered by trexes without any overlaps. Find all values of $n$ for which this is possible.
Problem
Source: Thirty Third Irish Mathematical Olympiad 2020 P4/10
Tags: combinatorics, Tiling, Coloring
20.07.2020 23:12
We claim it is possible iff $n\equiv 0, 2\pmod{3}$. Notice that an $n$-level honeycomb can be tiled by three $n \times n+1$ rhombi, arranged in a rotationally symmetrical way around the middle hexagon. If $n\equiv 0, 2\pmod{3}$, then $n$ or $n+1$ respectively are divisible by 3, so each rhombus can be tiled by trexes. This shows it is possible in these cases. Now, suppose $n\equiv 1\pmod{3}$ and $n>1$ (it is clearly impossible when $n=1$). Rotate the honeycomb so that one of its vertices is pointing vertically downwards. Label the rows of hexagons $1$ to $4n+1$, and colour the hexagons in the rows congruent to $0, 1, 2\pmod{3}$ red, green, blue respectively. Notice that every trex covers exactly one of each colour hexagon, so if a tiling is possible then each colour appears the same number of times. However it can easily be seen that this is not the case in each of the aforementioned rhombi as neither of the side lengths is divisible by 3, and as each rhombus is coloured identically we reach the conclusion that no such tiling exists.
20.07.2020 23:17
@above I think you meant $n+1$?
21.07.2020 11:22
Yeah thanks