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Euclid · Elements §10.prop1.14

Proportional Lines and Commensurability of Square Differences

Passage 170 of 316 · Greek

Summary

Proves geometrically that for four proportional straight lines, if the square on the first is greater than that on the second by the square on a straight line commensurable (or incommensurable) with the first, the third has the same relationship to the fourth.

§10.prop1.14ἐὰν τέσσαρες εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον ὦσιν, δύνηται δὲ ἡ πρώτη τῆς δευτέρας μεῖζον τῷ ἀπὸ συμμέτρου ἑαυτῇ, καὶ ἡ τρίτη τῆς τετάρτης μεῖζον δυνήσεται τῷ ἀπὸ συμμέτρου ἑαυτῇ.
If four straight lines be proportional, and the square on the first be greater than the square on the second by the square on a straight line commensurable with the first, the square on the third will also be greater than the square on the fourth by the square on a straight line commensurable with the third.
καὶ ἐὰν ἡ πρώτη τῆς δευτέρας μεῖζον δύνηται τῷ ἀπὸ ἀσυμμέτρου ἑαυτῇ, καὶ ἡ τρίτη τῆς τετάρτης μεῖζον δυνήσεται τῷ ἀπὸ ἀσυμμέτρου ἑαυτῇ.
And if the first be greater in square than the second by the square on a straight line incommensurable with it, the third will also be greater in square than the fourth by the square on a straight line incommensurable with it.
ἔστωσαν τέσσαρες εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον αἱ Α, Β, Γ, Δ, ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Β, οὕτως ἡ Γ πρὸς τὴν Δ, καὶ ἡ Α μὲν τῆς β μεῖζον δυνάσθω τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Ε, ἡ δὲ Γ τῆς Δ μεῖζον δυνάσθω τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Ζ·
Let four proportional straight lines be A, B, Γ, Δ, so that, as A is to B, so is Γ to Δ, and let A be greater in square than B by the square on E, and let Γ be greater in square than Δ by the square on Z.
λέγω, ὅτι, εἴτε σύμμετρός ἐστιν ἡ Α τῇ Ε, σύμμετρός ἐστι καὶ ἡ Γ τῇ Ζ, εἴτε ἀσύμμετρός ἐστιν ἡ Α τῇ Ε, ἀσύμμετρός ἐστι καὶ ἡ Γ τῇ Ζ. ἐπεὶ γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Β, οὕτως ἡ Γ πρὸς τὴν Δ, ἔστιν ἄρα καὶ ὡς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Α πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Β, οὕτως τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Γ πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Δ. ἀλλὰ τῷ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς Α ἴσα ἐστὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν Ε, Β, τῷ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Γ ἴσα ἐστὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν Δ, Ζ. ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν Ε, Β πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Β, οὕτως τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν Δ, Ζ πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Δ·
I say that, if A is commensurable with E, Γ is also commensurable with Z, and if A is incommensurable with E, Γ is also incommensurable with Z. For since, as A is to B, so is Γ to Δ, therefore also, as the square on A is to the square on B, so is the square on Γ to the square on Δ. But the squares on E, B are equal to the square on A, and the squares on Δ, Z are equal to the square on Γ. Therefore, as the squares on E, B are to the square on B, so are the squares on Δ, Z to the square on Δ.
διελόντι ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Ε πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Β, οὕτως τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Ζ πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Δ·
Therefore, by separation, as the square on E is to the square on B, so is the square on Z to the square on Δ.
ἔστιν ἄρα καὶ ὡς ἡ Ε πρὸς τὴν Β, οὕτως ἡ Ζ πρὸς τὴν Δ·
Therefore also, as E is to B, so is Z to Δ.
ἀνάπαλιν ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ Β πρὸς τὴν Ε, οὕτως ἡ Δ πρὸς τὴν Ζ. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Β, οὕτως ἡ Γ πρὸς τὴν Δ·
Therefore, inversely, as B is to E, so is Δ to Z. But, as A is to B, so is Γ to Δ; therefore, ex aequali, as A is to E, so is Γ to Z.
διʼ ἴσου ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Ε, οὕτως ἡ Γ πρὸς τὴν Ζ. εἴτε οὖν σύμμετρός ἐστιν ἡ Α τῇ Ε, σύμμετρός ἐστι καὶ ἡ Γ τῇ Ζ, εἴτε ἀσύμμετρός ἐστιν ἡ Α τῇ Ε, ἀσύμμετρός ἐστι καὶ ἡ Γ τῇ Ζ. ἐὰν ἄρα, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.
Therefore, if A is commensurable with E, Γ is also commensurable with Z, and if A is incommensurable with E, Γ is also incommensurable with Z. Therefore, if, and the rest.

Notes

  1. §10.prop1.14δύνηται δὲ ἡ πρώτη τῆς δευτέρας μεῖζον τῷ ἀπὸ συμμέτρου ἑαυτῇ — Meaning "and the square on the first be greater than the square on the second by the square on a straight line commensurable with it". The verb δύναμαι (to be equal in square) indicates that for two line segments $x, y$ and a segment $z$ representing the difference of their squares, $x^2 = y^2 + z^2$ holds, and here $x$ (the first line) is commensurable with $z$. The dative phrase τῷ ἀπὸ ... represents the measure of difference between the squares.
  2. §10.prop1.14διελόντι — "By separation" (separando). It refers to the proportional operation of obtaining $(a-b):b = (c-d):d$ from $a:b = c:d$. Here it is used to derive $E^2 : B^2 = Z^2 : Δ^2$ from $(E^2 + B^2) : B^2 = (Δ^2 + Z^2) : Δ^2$.
  3. §10.prop1.14διʼ ἴσου — "Ex aequali" (by equality). It refers to the proportional operation of deriving $a:c = d:f$ from the sequences of ratios $a:b = d:e$ and $b:c = e:f$ by eliminating the intermediate terms. Here it is used to derive $A:E = Γ:Z$ from $A:B = Γ:Δ$ and $B:E = Δ:Z$.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §10.prop1.14. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:10.prop1.14

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