This idea originated from the water retention model for mathematical surfaces and is identical to the concept of a "lake". A lake is body of water that has dimensions of (n-2) X (n-2) when the square size is n X n. All other bodies of water are "ponds".
Iwan Jensen with his transfer matrix algorithm provided the number of symmetrically redundant solutions. Walter Trump enumerated the symmetrically unique solutions.
R. Parkin, L. J. Lander, and D. R. Parkin, Polyomino Enumeration Results, presented at SIAM Fall Meeting, 1967, and accompanying letter from T. J. Lander (annotated scanned copy) page 9 (incorrect at n=15).
The cells with value 1 show the smallest possible lake in this 4 X 4 square:
1 1 1 1
0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1
a(3)=24 = 6+7+7+3+1: There fit 6 5-ominoes in a 3x3 square, 7 6-ominoes in a 3x3 square, 7 7-ominoes in a 3x3 square, 3 8-ominoes in a 3x3 square, a 1 9-omino in a 3x3 square. - R. J. Mathar, Jun 07 2020
CROSSREFS
Cf. A054247 (all unique water retention patterns). Diagonal of A268371.
