Signed shape tilings of squares (Q1974526)

Define a rectangle in \(\mathbb{R}\times \mathbb{R}\) to be a product \([b_1,b_2) \times [c_1,c_2)\) of half-open intervals with \(b_1 < b_2\) and \(c_1 < c_2\). For a commutative ring \(A\) with unity an \(A\)-weighted tile is represented by a finite \(A\)-linear combination \(L = a_1R_1 + \cdots{} + a_nR_n\) of disjoint rectangles \(R_i\). To each such \(L\) associate a function \(f_L : \mathbb{R}^2 \rightarrow A\) which is supported on \(\bigcup R_i\) and whose value on \(R_i\) is \(a_i\). Then \(L_1\) and \(L_2\) are said to represent the same tile, if \(f_{L_1} = f_{L_2}\). Superposing two weighted tiles \(T_1\) and \(T_2\) we may form the sum \(T_1 + T_2\); also, for \(a \in A\) the tile \(aT\) is formed from \(T\) by multiplying all the weights of \(T\) by \(a\). Under these operations the set of all \(A\)-weighted tiles forms an \(A\)-module. Now let \(U\) be an \(A\)-weighted tile and let \(T:= \{ T_{\lambda} \mid \lambda \in \Lambda\}\) be a set of \(A\)-weighted tiles. Then \(T\) is said to \(A\)-tile \(U\) if there are weights \(a_1, \dots{} , a_n \in A\) and tiles \(\overline{T}_1, \dots{}, \overline{T}_n\), each of which is a translation of some \(T_{\lambda_i}\), such that \(a_1\overline{T}_1 + \cdots{} + a_n\overline{T}_n = U\). Given an \(A\)-weighted tile \(T\) and a real number \(\rho > 0\) define \(T(\rho)\) to be the image of \(T\) under the rescaling \((x,y) \rightarrow (\rho x, \rho y)\). An \(A\)-weighted tile \(T'\) is said to have the same shape as \(T\) if there exists \(\rho > 0\) such that \(T'\) is a translation of \(T(\rho)\). Also, \(T\) is said to \(A\)-shapetile \(U\) if \(\{ T(\rho) \mid \rho > 0\}\) \(A\)-tiles \(U\). With all these definitions the first main result reads as follows: Theorem 3.1. Let \(T\) be a \(\mathbb{Q}\)-weighted tile made up of rectangles whose corners all have rational coordinates. Then \(T\) \(\mathbb{Q}\)-shapetiles a square if and only if the weighted area of \(T\) is not zero. If \(T\) is an \(A\)-weighted tile made up of unit squares in \(\mathbb{R}^2\) whose cornes are in \(\mathbb{Z}^2\), then \(T\) is said to be a lattice tile. Given \(\mu \in \mathbb{Q} \cup \{ \infty \}\) two lattice squares \(S_1\) and \(S_2\) are said to belong to the same \(\mu\)-slope class if the line joining their centers has slope \(\mu\). Now the second main result is Theorem 4.2. Let \(T\) be a \(\mathbb{Z}\)-weighted lattice tile. Then \(T\) \(\mathbb{Z}\)-shapetiles a square if and only if the following two conditions hold: (1) The weighted area of \(T\) is not zero. (2) For every \(\mu \in \mathbb{Q}^{\times}\) the gcd of the weighted areas of the \(\mu\)-slope classes of \(T\) is \(1\).