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Euclid · Elements §11.prop.31#2

Equality of General Parallelepipeds of Equal Base and Height

Passage 259 of 316 · Greek

Summary

Completing the proof of equality for the first case of perpendicular uprights using ratios of solids, and then proving the second case of non-perpendicular uprights by reducing it to the perpendicular case.

§11.prop.31#2καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ ΡΥΧΤ παραλληλόγραμμον τῷ ΩΤ παραλληλογράμμῳ· ἐπί τε γὰρ τῆς αὐτῆς βάσεώς εἰσι τῆς ΡΤ καὶ ἐν ταῖς αὐταῖς παραλλήλοις ταῖς ΡΤ, ΩΧ· ἀλλὰ τὸ ΡΥΧΤ τῷ ΓΔ ἐστιν ἴσον, ἐπεὶ καὶ τῷ ΑΒ, καὶ τὸ ΩΤ ἄρα παραλληλόγραμμον τῷ ΓΔ ἐστιν ἴσον.
since the parallelogram RYXT is equal to the parallelogram WT; for they are on the same base RT and in the same parallels RT, WX; but RYXT is equal to GD, since indeed it is also equal to AB, therefore the parallelogram WT is also equal to GD.
ἄλλο δὲ τὸ ΔΤ· ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΓΔ βάσις πρὸς τὴν ΔΤ, οὕτως ἡ ΩΤ πρὸς τὴν ΔΤ. καὶ ἐπεὶ στερεὸν παραλληλεπίπεδον τὸ ΓΙ ἐπιπέδῳ τῷ ΡΖ τέτμηται παραλλήλῳ ὄντι τοῖς ἀπεναντίον ἐπιπέδοις, ἔστιν ὡς ἡ ΓΔ βάσις πρὸς τὴν ΔΤ βάσιν, οὕτως τὸ ΓΖ στερεὸν πρὸς τὸ ΡΙ στερεόν.
And there is another parallelogram DT; therefore, as the base GD is to DT, so is WT to DT. And since the solid parallelepiped GI has been cut by the plane RZ which is parallel to the opposite planes, as the base GD is to the base DT, so is the solid GZ to the solid RI.
διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δή, ἐπεὶ στερεὸν παραλληλεπίπεδον τὸ ΩΙ ἐπιπέδῳ τῷ ΡΨ τέτμηται παραλλήλῳ ὄντι τοῖς ἀπεναντίον ἐπιπέδοις, ἔστιν ὡς ἡ ΩΤ βάσις πρὸς τὴν ΤΔ βάσιν, οὕτως τὸ ΩΨ στερεὸν πρὸς τὸ ΡΙ. ἀλλʼ ὡς ἡ ΓΔ βάσις πρὸς τὴν ΔΤ, οὕτως ἡ ΩΤ πρὸς τὴν ΔΤ· καὶ ὡς ἄρα τὸ ΓΖ στερεὸν πρὸς τὸ ΡΙ στερεόν, οὕτως τὸ ΩΨ στερεὸν πρὸς τὸ ΡΙ. ἑκάτερον ἄρα τῶν ΓΖ, ΩΨ στερεῶν πρὸς τὸ ΡΙ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον· ἴσον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΓΖ στερεὸν τῷ ΩΨ στερεῷ.
For the same reasons indeed, since the solid parallelepiped WI has been cut by the plane RY which is parallel to the opposite planes, as the base WT is to the base TD, so is the solid WY to the solid RI. But as the base GD is to DT, so is WT to DT; therefore, as the solid GZ is to the solid RI, so is the solid WY to the solid RI. Therefore each of the solids GZ, WY has the same ratio to the solid RI; therefore the solid GZ is equal to the solid WY.
ἀλλὰ τὸ ΩΨ τῷ ΑΕ ἐδείχθη ἴσον· καὶ τὸ ΑΕ ἄρα τῷ ΓΖ ἐστιν ἴσον.
But WY was shown equal to AE; therefore AE is also equal to GZ.
μὴ ἔστωσαν δὴ αἱ ἐφεστηκυῖαι αἱ ΑΗ, ΘΚ, ΒΕ, ΛΜ, ΓΝ, ΟΠ, ΔΖ, ΡΣ πρὸς ὀρθὰς ταῖς ΑΒ, ΓΔ βάσεσιν· λέγω πάλιν, ὅτι ἴσον τὸ ΑΕ στερεὸν τῷ ΓΖ στερεῷ.
Indeed, let not the uprights AH, TK, BE, LM, GN, OP, DZ, RS be at right angles to the bases AB, GD; I say again, that the solid AE is equal to the solid GZ.
ἤχθωσαν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν Κ, Ε, Η, Μ, Π, Ζ, Ν, Σ σημείων ἐπὶ τὸ ὑποκείμενον ἐπίπεδον κάθετοι αἱ ΚΞ, ΕΤ, ΗΥ, ΜΦ, ΠΧ, ΖΨ, ΝΩ, ΣΙ, καὶ συμβαλλέτωσαν τῷ ἐπιπέδῳ κατὰ τὰ Ξ, Τ, Υ, Φ, Χ, Ψ, Ω, Ι σημεῖα, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθωσαν αἱ ΞΤ, ΞΥ, ΥΦ, ΤΦ, ΧΨ, ΧΩ, ΩΙ, ΙΨ. ἴσον δή ἐστι τὸ ΚΦ στερεὸν τῷ ΠΙ στερεῷ· ἐπί τε γὰρ ἴσων βάσεών εἰσι τῶν ΚΜ, ΠΣ καὶ ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος, ὧν αἱ ἐφεστῶσαι πρὸς ὀρθάς εἰσι ταῖς βάσεσιν.
For let there be drawn from the points K, E, H, M, P, Z, N, S to the underlying plane the perpendiculars KX, ET, HU, MF, PX, ZY, NW, SI, and let them meet the plane at the points X, T, U, F, X, Y, W, I, and let XT, XU, UF, TF, XY, XW, WI, IY be joined. Indeed, the solid KF is equal to the solid PI; for they are on equal bases KM, PS and have the same height, and their uprights are at right angles to the bases.
ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ΚΦ στερεὸν τῷ ΑΕ στερεῷ ἐστιν ἴσον, τὸ δὲ ΠΙ τῷ ΓΖ· ἐπί τε γὰρ τῆς αὐτῆς βάσεώς εἰσι καὶ ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος, ὧν αἱ ἐφεστῶσαι οὔκ εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν εὐθειῶν.
But the solid KF is equal to the solid AE, and PI to GZ; for they are on the same base and have the same height, and their uprights are not on the same straight lines.
καὶ τὸ ΑΕ ἄρα στερεὸν τῷ ΓΖ στερεῷ ἐστιν ἴσον.
Therefore the solid AE is also equal to the solid GZ.
τὰ ἄρα ἐπὶ ἴσων βάσεων ὄντα στερεὰ παραλληλεπίπεδα καὶ ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος ἴσα ἀλλήλοις ἐστίν· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore, solid parallelepipeds which are on equal bases and have the same height are equal to one another; which was to be proved.

Notes

  1. 11.prop.31#2ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΓΔ βάσις πρὸς τὴν ΔΤ, οὕτως ἡ ΩΤ πρὸς τὴν ΔΤ. — The 'ὡς ... οὕτως ...' construction is a standard geometrical expression representing the equality of two ratios (proportionality), indicating here that 'as the base GD is to DT, so is WT to DT'.
  2. 11.prop.31#2ἐπιπέδῳ τῷ ΡΖ τέτμηται παραλλήλῳ ὄντι τοῖς ἀπεναντίον ἐπιπέδοις — The dative 'ἐπιπέδῳ τῷ RZ' is a dative of means, and the agreeing participle phrase 'παραλλήλῳ ὄντι...' adds the condition that the cutting plane is 'parallel to the opposite planes'.
  3. 11.prop.31#2μὴ ἔστωσαν δὴ αἱ ἐφεστηκυῖαι ... πρὸς ὀρθὰς ταῖς ΑΒ, ΓΔ βάσεσιν — The combination of the negative particle 'μὴ' and the third-person plural imperative 'ἔστωσαν' is used to posit a negative assumption for the second case of the proof, i.e., 'let the uprights not be at right angles to the bases'.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §11.prop.31#2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.prop.31%232

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