Please share the shape if you have it at hand! I think the assignment was entirely appropriate – laudable in fact. The issue was the lack of follow-through. Any attempt to impress the surprising and uncertain nature of maths was lost in the mad rush through the curriculum. These kinds of problems should be a staple fixture of the curriculum because they are a more authentic representation of how maths is done in the real world. The de facto thinking going into any problem should be around whether a solution exists, possible paths of reasoning, and available tools. Problem solving can not be reduced to a narrow search for a presumed answer.