Paving of rectangles with stones of type \(1\times j\) (Q1360587)

Let \(R\) be an \(n\times m\) rectangle, and let a sufficiently large set \(S\) of \(1\times 1\), \(1\times 2, \dots, 1\times k\) rectangles be given \((k,m, n\in N)\). The authors ask for the number of possibilities \(f(n,m,k)\) to fill out \(R\) by ``stones'' from \(S\), where \(1 \times j\) stones can be used in a vertical and in a horizontal manner, and the arrangements are also considered to be different if they are identical up to rotation or reflection. A recursive formula for the general case is derived, and furthermore some special cases are discussed in detail. Finally, the authors investigate constants \(a_1,a_2, \dots\) which allow estimates of the form \(f(n,m,k) =a_k^{n \cdot m}\).