de Bruijn's theorem

proper noun

A theorem about packing congruent rectangular bricks into larger rectangular boxes so that no space is left over. It states that a "harmonic brick" (one in which each side length is a multiple of the next smaller side length) can only be packed into a box whose dimensions are multiples of the brick's dimensions.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. mathematicsA theorem about packing congruent rectangular bricks into larger rectangular boxes so that no space is left over. It states that a "harmonic brick" (one in which each side length is a multiple of the next smaller side length) can only be packed into a box whose dimensions are multiples of the brick's dimensions.

Origin

Devised by the Dutch mathematician Nicolaas Govert de Bruijn in a 1969 paper.

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Cite this entry
APA

de Bruijn's theorem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de%20Bruijn's%20theorem

MLA

“de Bruijn's theorem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de%20Bruijn's%20theorem. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “de Bruijn's theorem,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/de%20Bruijn's%20theorem.

Source: de Bruijn's theorem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.