# Transforming a 8x8, 4x4 and 1x1 square into a 9x9 square

Good day to all of you!

I have a puzzle which I just cannot solve. I attached a photo of it. The task is to transform the shape on the left into a 9x9 square (on the right) using ONLY 2 "cuts" - dividing it into 3 separate objects. Mirroring, rotating of them is allowed. You do not have to cut in a straight line, creating zig-zags, etc. is allowed. (please ignore the random functions at the bottom). Do you have any suggestions or potential solution? Thank you very much!

• Almost got it for $2$ cuts into $4$ pieces. Are we sure this has a solution? i.imgur.com/eloJmXV.png – Jam Oct 1 '17 at 21:20
• Thank you for your effort! It was given as an extra task for bonus points at my friend's university - prof claimed that there is a solution but it cost also him a fair amount of time. So I am pretty sure there is a solution. – David Kosztyu Oct 1 '17 at 21:36
• Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining where the problem came from :) It's kind of a trivial point but the right side edge of the shape is $>9$ so one cut has to end on the right side edge. – Jam Oct 1 '17 at 21:51
• I can come up with $2$ ways of doing it in $5$ pieces but nothing better, yet. imgur.com/qnI99hg imgur.com/cs9qUeL – Jam Oct 1 '17 at 22:24
• Are you sure the 1x1 square is not on the right side of the 4x4 square? Then it would be the famous Sam Loyd's A Square Deal puzzle. However, on the left side it would cut the long thin piece into two. – Momo Oct 1 '17 at 23:58

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• I saw your problem just before bedtime & scratched a failed solution. When I got up ... there it was. Thank you, what a nice puzzle. $\ddot \smile$ – Donald Splutterwit Oct 2 '17 at 9:06