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Euclid · Elements §1.prop.4

Congruence of Triangles by Two Sides and Included Angle

Passage 5 of 316 · Greek

Summary

This proposition proves that if two triangles have two sides and the included angle equal to two sides and the included angle respectively, then their bases, areas, and remaining angles are also equal, using the method of superposition.

§1.prop.4ἐὰν δύο τρίγωνα τὰς δύο πλευρὰς δυσὶ πλευραῖς ἴσας ἔχῃ ἑκατέραν ἑκατέρᾳ καὶ τὴν γωνίαν τῇ γωνίᾳ ἴσην ἔχῃ τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἴσων εὐθειῶν περιεχομένην, καὶ τὴν βάσιν τῇ βάσει ἴσην ἕξει, καὶ τὸ τρίγωνον τῷ τριγώνῳ ἴσον ἔσται, καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ γωνίαι ταῖς λοιπαῖς γωνίαις ἴσαι ἔσονται ἑκατέρα ἑκατέρᾳ, ὑφʼ ἃς αἱ ἴσαι πλευραὶ ὑποτείνουσιν.
If two triangles have two sides equal to two sides respectively, and have the angle contained by the equal straight lines equal to the angle, they will also have the base equal to the base, and the triangle will be equal to the triangle, and the remaining angles will be equal to the remaining angles respectively, namely those which the equal sides subtend.
ἔστω δύο τρίγωνα τὰ ΑΒΓ, ΔΕΖ τὰς δύο πλευρὰς τὰς ΑΒ, ΑΓ ταῖς δυσὶ πλευραῖς ταῖς ΔΕ, ΔΖ ἴσας ἔχοντα ἑκατέραν ἑκατέρᾳ τὴν μὲν ΑΒ τῇ ΔΕ τὴν δὲ ΑΓ τῇ ΔΖ καὶ γωνίαν τὴν ὑπὸ ΒΑΓ γωνίᾳ τῇ ὑπὸ ΕΔΖ ἴσην.
Let ABC, DEF be two triangles having the two sides AB, AC equal to the two sides DE, DF respectively, namely AB to DE and AC to DF, and the angle BAC equal to the angle EDF.
λέγω, ὅτι καὶ βάσις ἡ ΒΓ βάσει τῇ ΕΖ ἴση ἐστίν, καὶ τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον τῷ ΔΕΖ τριγώνῳ ἴσον ἔσται, καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ γωνίαι ταῖς λοιπαῖς γωνίαις ἴσαι ἔσονται ἑκατέρα ἑκατέρᾳ, ὑφʼ ἃς αἱ ἴσαι πλευραὶ ὑποτείνουσιν, ἡ μὲν ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΖ, ἡ δὲ ὑπὸ ΑΓΒ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΖΕ. Ἐφαρμοζομένου γὰρ τοῦ ΑΒΓ τριγώνου ἐπὶ τὸ ΔΕΖ τρίγωνον καὶ τιθεμένου τοῦ μὲν Α σημείου ἐπὶ τὸ Δ σημεῖον τῆς δὲ ΑΒ εὐθείας ἐπὶ τὴν ΔΕ, ἐφαρμόσει καὶ τὸ Β σημεῖον ἐπὶ τὸ Ε διὰ τὸ ἴσην εἶναι τὴν ΑΒ τῇ ΔΕ·
I say that the base BC is also equal to the base EF, and the triangle ABC will be equal to the triangle DEF, and the remaining angles will be equal to the remaining angles respectively, namely those which the equal sides subtend, the angle ABC to the angle DEF, and the angle ACB to the angle DFE.
ἐφαρμοσάσης δὴ τῆς ΑΒ ἐπὶ τὴν ΔΕ ἐφαρμόσει καὶ ἡ ΑΓ εὐθεῖα ἐπὶ τὴν ΔΖ διὰ τὸ ἴσην εἶναι τὴν ὑπὸ ΒΑΓ γωνίαν τῇ ὑπὸ ΕΔΖ·
For, if the triangle ABC be applied to the triangle DEF, and if the point A be placed on the point D and the straight line AB on DE, then the point B will also coincide with E, because AB is equal to DE.
ὥστε καὶ τὸ Γ σημεῖον ἐπὶ τὸ Ζ σημεῖον ἐφαρμόσει διὰ τὸ ἴσην πάλιν εἶναι τὴν ΑΓ τῇ ΔΖ. ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τὸ Β ἐπὶ τὸ Ε ἐφηρμόκει·
Therefore, AB coinciding with DE, the straight line AC will also coincide with DF, because the angle BAC is equal to the angle EDF.
ὥστε βάσις ἡ ΒΓ ἐπὶ βάσιν τὴν ΕΖ ἐφαρμόσει.
Hence the point C will also coincide with the point F, because AC is again equal to DF.
εἰ γὰρ τοῦ μὲν Β ἐπὶ τὸ Ε ἐφαρμόσαντος τοῦ δὲ Γ ἐπὶ τὸ Ζ ἡ ΒΓ βάσις ἐπὶ τὴν ΕΖ οὐκ ἐφαρμόσει, δύο εὐθεῖαι χωρίον περιέξουσιν·
But indeed B also coincided with E; hence the base BC will coincide with the base EF.
ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον. ἐφαρμόσει ἄρα ἡ ΒΓ βάσις ἐπὶ τὴν ΕΖ καὶ ἴση αὐτῇ ἔσται·
For if, B coinciding with E and C with F, the base BC does not coincide with EF, two straight lines will enclose a space; which is impossible.
ὥστε καὶ ὅλον τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον ἐπὶ ὅλον τὸ ΔΕΖ τρίγωνον ἐφαρμόσει καὶ ἴσον αὐτῷ ἔσται, καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ γωνίαι ἐπὶ τὰς λοιπὰς γωνίας ἐφαρμόσουσι καὶ ἴσαι αὐταῖς ἔσονται, ἡ μὲν ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΖ ἡ δὲ ὑπὸ ΑΓΒ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΖΕ. ἐὰν ἄρα δύο τρίγωνα τὰς δύο πλευρὰς δύο πλευραῖς ἴσας ἔχῃ ἑκατέραν ἑκατέρᾳ καὶ τὴν γωνίαν τῇ γωνίᾳ ἴσην ἔχῃ τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν ἴσων εὐθειῶν περιεχομένην, καὶ τὴν βάσιν τῇ βάσει ἴσην ἕξει, καὶ τὸ τρίγωνον τῷ τριγώνῳ ἴσον ἔσται, καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ γωνίαι ταῖς λοιπαῖς γωνίαις ἴσαι ἔσονται ἑκατέρα ἑκατέρᾳ, ὑφʼ ἃς αἱ ἴσαι πλευραὶ ὑποτείνουσιν·
Therefore the base BC will coincide with EF and will be equal to it; so that the whole triangle ABC will also coincide with the whole triangle DEF and will be equal to it, and the remaining angles will coincide with the remaining angles and will be equal to them, the angle ABC to the angle DEF, and the angle ACB to the angle DFE.
ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore, if two triangles have two sides equal to two sides respectively, and have the angle contained by the equal straight lines equal to the angle, they will also have the base equal to the base, and the triangle will be equal to the triangle, and the remaining angles will be equal to the remaining angles respectively, namely those which the equal sides subtend. - Being what it was required to prove.

Notes

  1. §1.prop.4ὑφʼ ἃς αἱ ἴσαι πλευραὶ ὑποτείνουσιν — The antecedent of the relative pronoun `ἃς` (feminine plural accusative) is `αἱ λοιπαὶ γωνίαι`. Combined with the preposition `ὑπό` governing the accusative and the verb `ὑποτείνω` (to subtend, lit. 'to stretch under'), it expresses 'the angles which the equal sides subtend.'
  2. §1.prop.4Ἐφαρμοζομένου γὰρ τοῦ ΑΒΓ τριγώνου ἐπὶ τὸ ΔΕΖ τρίγωνον καὶ τιθεμένου — The present passive participles `Ἐφαρμοζομένου` and `τιθεμένου` form a genitive absolute construction, expressing a hypothetical condition ('if... is applied and placed').
  3. §1.prop.4εἰ γὰρ τοῦ μὲν Β ἐπὶ τὸ Ε ἐφαρμόσαντος τοῦ δὲ Γ ἐπὶ τὸ Ζ ἡ ΒΓ βάσις ἐπὶ τὴν ΕΖ οὐκ ἐφαρμόσει — Within the conditional clause introduced by `εἰ`, the genitive absolute construction with aorist participles `τοῦ μὲν Β ... ἐφαρμόσαντος τοῦ δὲ Γ ... [ἐφαρμόσαντος]` is embedded to establish the premise ('even if B coincides with E and C with F'), while the apodosis uses the future indicative `οὐκ ἐφαρμόσει` to present an impossible geometric consequence.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §1.prop.4. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.prop.4

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