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Add @philipxy suggestion, to avoid the term "similar", with popular technical meaning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Similarity_(geometry)

The Missing square puzzle problem is a good illustration. It illustrates a simple and universal problem/question/solution process, where "some illusion" causes complications.

There are a self-evident problem — the 1×1 hole in that arises on the second figure —, but the solution is evident only after we know (like an Egg of Columbus)... All people, experts and non-experts, agree that there is a problem.

enter image description here

  • normal user: thinks that
    "there are two equivalent figures, the 'total triangles' in a perfect 13×5 grid...",
    following with the question:

    • problem Y: "Why does the second equivalent triangle have a hole in it?".
  • expert user: think something like
    "oops, they are alike (close in shape), but not perfectly equivalent figures",
    following with the question:

    • problem X: "How to show that they are not perfect equivalents?".

The clever geometry-expert thinks in terms of close in shape geometries.

The normal user thinks, mistakenly, in terms of exact congruence. So, the use of wrong hypothesis, produce ill Y questions.


The "XY problem" as a specialization of the "wrong hypothesis behaviour"

You want to solve the real question-X, and you think in terms of an Y-context, and try to use question-Y. Instead of asking about context X, you ask about context Y.
(as @Gnome noticed above, but using other words)

So, "XY Problem" is only another (more specialized) term to say "Use of wrong working hypothesis".