1240. Tiling a Rectangle with the Fewest Squares

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Asked by 3 companies

Given a rectangle of size n x m, return the minimum number of integer-sided squares that tile the rectangle.

Example 1:

Input: n = 2, m = 3
Output: 3
Explanation: 3 squares are necessary to cover the rectangle.
2 (squares of 1x1)
1 (square of 2x2)

Example 2:

Input: n = 5, m = 8
Output: 5

Example 3:

Input: n = 11, m = 13
Output: 6

Constraints:

Hint 1

Can you use backtracking to solve this problem ?.

Hint 2

Suppose you've placed a bunch of squares. Where is the natural spot to place the next square ?.

Hint 3

The maximum number of squares to be placed will be ≤ max(n,m).