First, arrange six matches in a square, three on each side. Now we have six spare matchsticks. Then, combine these six matchsticks into a small square with 1 matchstick on each side. Finally, put these two squares together and you can get three squares.
The answer to this question is actually a math problem. Solving this problem requires the use of mathematical knowledge, including computational geometry and mathematical reasoning. We need to move 12 matchsticks to form three equal squares. Before solving this problem, we need to know how to calculate the perimeter and area of a square and how to use the principle of plane geometry to solve this problem.
The circumference of a square is the total length of its four sides. For a square with a side length of a, the perimeter L=4a. The area of a square is the square of its side length. For a square with a side length of a, the area S=a? .
Suppose we have 12 matchsticks now, and we need to move them to form three squares. We can form a square first and then divide it into three equal parts. To form a square, we need six matchsticks, three on each side. In this way, we have six "spare" matchsticks.
Next, we need to use these six spare matchsticks to form two small squares with a side length of 1, and each square consists of three matchsticks. Now, let's put the first small square on a corner of the first big square, so that one side of it is adjacent to the other side of the big square.
We put the second small square on the other corner of the second big square, so that one side of it is adjacent to the other side of the big square. Note that the "corner" here refers to a vertex of the big square. Now, we have three squares. Every big square and every small square has a side with a side length of 3, so their perimeter is 12.
The area of each small square is 1, and the area of each large square is 9, so the total area is 19. There are many different solutions to this problem. Different methods may require different matchstick layout and moving order. In any case, solving this problem requires a deep understanding of mathematical principles and a rigorous description of geometric shapes.