Given a square. Dissect the area into a set of non-overlapping acute triangles.
Hint and Exploration
What is the minumum number of acute triangles?
Things we may have learned
-- A single point in the center connected to the four vertices will not work-- right triangles are constructed.
-- Each vertex of the square must be divide by at least one line segment.
-- If segments radiate from an internal point that is not along a segment, then there must be at least 5 radii.
-- If a point is internal to a segment, there must be at least two segments radiating from the point on the same side.
-- Five acute triangles can fit together into a pentagon (not necessarily regular).
Additional Challenges:
1. Find a dissection with 8 acute triangles.
2. Find a dissection with 9 acute triangles.
3. Find two different dissections 10 acute triangles.
4. Find a dissection with 10 acute triangles where each of the acute triangles is isosceles.
Return to Problem Solving main page