Packing Digits
Take the digits 0-9 as seen on a digital clock, and pack them in a grid. (The 6
and 9 use six segments each.)
Each segment of each digit must run vertically or horizontally between two grid
points. Digits may touch and intersect, but each segment may be part of
only one digit. Digits may be rotated, but not reflected. When
finished, draw the smallest rectangle along the gridlines which encloses all the
digits. Try to minimize the area of this rectangle.
Source: Original.
Solutions were received from Kirk Bresniker, Jeremy Galvagni, Alan
O'Donnell, Claudio Baiocchi, Joseph DeVincentis, Raśl Mora Pastor, and
Philippe Fondanaiche. A few solvers found an area 20 2x10 rectangle
solution. Jeremy Galvagni's is below; others are found by rotating
various digit combinations (6593, 70).
Mail to Ken