Problem #PRU-78557

Problems Combinatorics Partitions Covers Methods Extremal principle Extremal principle (other) Pigeonhole principle Pigeonhole principle (other)

Problem

Several pieces of carpet are laid along a corridor. Pieces cover the entire corridor from end to end without omissions and even overlap one another, so that over some parts of the floor lie several layers of carpet. Prove that you can remove a few pieces, perhaps by taking them out from under others and leaving the rest exactly in the same places they used to be, so that the corridor will still be completely covered and the total length of the pieces left will be less than twice the length corridor.