Non-periodic tilings of \({\mathbb{R}}^{n}\) by crosses (Q664545)

An \(n\)-dimensional cross consists of \(2n+1\) unit cubes: the ``central'' cube and reflections in all its faces. A tiling by crosses is called a \(\mathbb{Z}\)-tiling if the center of every cross has integer coordinates. Tilings of \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\) by crosses have a connection to coding theory. Periodic tilings of \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\) by crosses have been constructed by several authors for all \(n\in N\). No non-periodic tiling of \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\) by crosses has been found so far. In the paper under review it is proved that if \(2n+1\) is not a prime, then the total number of non-periodic \(\mathbb{Z}\)-tilings of \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\) by crosses is \(2^{\aleph_0}\) while the total number of periodic \(\mathbb{Z}\)-tilings is only \(\aleph_0\). In the proof the work of \textit{S.~Szabó} [Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hung. 38, 191--203 (1981; Zbl 0477.20029)] is essentially used. The authors also show that for \(n=2\) and 3, any two tilings of \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\) by crosses are congruent. And they conjecture that the last statement can be extended to all \(n\) when \(2n+1\) is a prime.