Mathematics Problem Of the Week

Spring 2008

POW #1

A Sliced Cube

Twenty-seven unit cubes are stacked to make a 3x3x3 cube as shown below. A plane, perpendicular to a main diagonal of the big cube, cuts through the center of the unit cube in the center. How many different unit cubes are sliced by this plane?

As always, be sure to justify your answer.

Due Friday, February 1^st at Noon.

Solutions should be submitted to Dr. R. Lock's mailbox in the Math/CS/Stat office or sent via e-mail to rlock@stlawu.edu.