Building with Blocks: Enumerating Polyforms on Tilings

Abstract

In areas as diverse as contemporary art, play structures, climbing equipment, and modular construction toys, we see the presence of building block-like polyhedral complexes, which are generalizations of the pieces in the game Tetris. We give an algorithm for counting the number of $n$-celled structures on polygonal and polyhedral cells of certain periodic two- and three-dimensional tilings; moreover, we count these structures up to translations, rotations, and reflections of the tiling. We describe this algorithm with respect to structures in the snub square tiling, provide numerical data related to existing three-dimensional art and structures, and suggest puzzles based on these constructions.

11 pages, 8 figures, 1 table. Submitted to Bridges 2026