A pentagonal number theorem for tribone tilings (Q6199185)

Summary: \textit{J. H. Conway} and \textit{J. C. Lagarias} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 53, No. 2, 183--208 (1990; Zbl 0741.05019)] showed that certain roughly triangular regions in the hexagonal grid cannot be tiled by shapes Thurston later dubbed tribones. Here we introduce a two-parameter family of roughly hexagonal regions in the hexagonal grid and show that a tiling by tribones exists if and only if the two parameters associated with the region are the paired pentagonal numbers \(k(3k \pm 1)/2\).