Humanitext Reader

Euclid · Elements §11.prop.36-11.prop.37

Equivalence and Proportions of Parallelepipedal Solids

Passage 266 of 316 · Greek

Summary

Proves that the solid constructed from three proportional straight lines is equal to the equilateral and equiangular solid constructed on the mean. It also demonstrates that similar solids described on four proportional straight lines are proportional, and vice versa.

§11.prop.36ἐὰν τρεῖς εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον ὦσιν, τὸ ἐκ τῶν τριῶν στερεὸν παραλληλεπίπεδον ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς μέσης στερεῷ παραλληλεπιπέδῳ ἰσοπλεύρῳ μέν, ἰσογωνίῳ δὲ τῷ προειρημένῳ.
If three straight lines be proportional, the solid parallelepiped formed from the three is equal to the solid parallelepiped on the mean, which is equilateral, and equiangular with the aforesaid solid.
ἔστωσαν τρεῖς εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον αἱ Α, Β, Γ, ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Β, οὕτως ἡ Β πρὸς τὴν Γ· λέγω, ὅτι τὸ ἐκ τῶν Α, Β, Γ στερεὸν ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Β στερεῷ ἰσοπλεύρῳ μέν, ἰσογωνίῳ δὲ τῷ προειρημένῳ.
Let there be three proportional straight lines, A, B, G, as A is to B, so B to G; I say that the solid from A, B, G is equal to the solid on B, which is equilateral, and equiangular with the aforesaid solid.
Ἐκκείσθω στερεὰ γωνία ἡ πρὸς τῷ Ε περιεχομένη ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπὸ ΔΕΗ, ΗΕΖ, ΖΕΔ, καὶ κείσθω τῇ μὲν Β ἴση ἑκάστη τῶν ΔΕ, ΗΕ, ΕΖ, καὶ συμπεπληρώσθω τὸ ΕΚ στερεὸν παραλληλεπίπεδον, τῇ δὲ Α ἴση ἡ ΛΜ, καὶ συνεστάτω πρὸς τῇ ΛΜ εὐθείᾳ καὶ τῷ πρὸς αὐτῇ σημείῳ τῷ Λ τῇ πρὸς τῷ Ε στερεᾷ γωνίᾳ ἴση στερεὰ γωνία ἡ περιεχομένη ὑπὸ τῶν ΝΛΞ, ΞΛΜ, ΜΛΝ, καὶ κείσθω τῇ μὲν Β ἴση ἡ ΛΞ, τῇ δὲ Γ ἴση ἡ ΛΝ. καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Β, οὕτως ἡ Β πρὸς τὴν Γ, ἴση δὲ ἡ μὲν Α τῇ ΛΜ, ἡ δὲ Β ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν ΛΞ, ΕΔ, ἡ δὲ Γ τῇ ΛΝ, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΛΜ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ, οὕτως ἡ ΔΕ πρὸς τὴν ΛΝ. καὶ περὶ ἴσας γωνίας τὰς ὑπὸ ΝΛΜ, ΔΕΖ αἱ πλευραὶ ἀντιπεπόνθασιν· ἴσον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΜΝ παραλληλόγραμμον τῷ ΔΖ παραλληλογράμμῳ.
Let there be set up a solid angle at E contained by the angles DEH, HEZ, ZED, and let each of DE, HE, EZ be made equal to B, and let the solid parallelepiped EK be completed; and let LM be made equal to A, and on the straight line LM and at the point L on it let there be constructed a solid angle equal to the solid angle at E, namely that contained by the angles NLX, XLM, MLN, and let LX be made equal to B, and LN equal to G. And, since as A is to B, so is B to G, and A is equal to LM, B to each of LX, ED, and G to LN, therefore, as LM is to EZ, so is DE to LN. And the sides about the equal angles NLM, DEZ are reciprocally proportional; therefore the parallelogram MN is equal to the parallelogram DZ.
καὶ ἐπεὶ δύο γωνίαι ἐπίπεδοι εὐθύγραμμοι ἴσαι εἰσὶν αἱ ὑπὸ ΔΕΖ, ΝΛΜ, καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῶν μετέωροι εὐθεῖαι ἐφεστᾶσιν αἱ ΛΞ, ΕΗ ἴσαι τε ἀλλήλαις καὶ ἴσας γωνίας περιέχουσαι μετὰ τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐθειῶν ἑκατέραν ἑκατέρᾳ, αἱ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῶν Η, Ξ σημείων κάθετοι ἀγόμεναι ἐπὶ τὰ διὰ τῶν ΝΛΜ, ΔΕΖ ἐπίπεδα ἴσαι ἀλλήλαις εἰσίν· ὥστε τὰ ΛΘ, ΕΚ στερεὰ ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος ἐστίν.
And since there are two equal rectilineal plane angles DEZ, NLM, and on them are set up elevated straight lines LX, EH, which are equal to one another and contain equal angles with the original straight lines, each to each, therefore the perpendiculars drawn from the points H, X to the planes through NLM, DEZ are equal to one another; so that the solids LQ, EK are of the same height.
τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ ἴσων βάσεων στερεὰ παραλληλεπίπεδα καὶ ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος ἴσα ἀλλήλοις ἐστίν· ἴσον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΘΛ στερεὸν τῷ ΕΚ στερεῷ.
But solid parallelepipeds on equal bases and of the same height are equal to one another; therefore the solid QL is equal to the solid EK.
καί ἐστι τὸ μὲν ΛΘ τὸ ἐκ τῶν Α, Β, Γ στερεόν, τὸ δὲ ΕΚ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Β στερεόν· τὸ ἄρα ἐκ τῶν Α, Β, Γ στερεὸν παραλληλεπίπεδον ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Β στερεῷ ἰσοπλεύρῳ μέν, ἰσογωνίῳ δὲ τῷ προειρημένῳ·
And the solid LQ is that from A, B, G, and the solid EK that on B; therefore the solid parallelepiped from A, B, G is equal to the solid on B, which is equilateral and equiangular with the aforesaid solid.
ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Which it was required to prove.
§11.prop.37ἐὰν τέσσαρες εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον ὦσιν, καὶ τὰ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν στερεὰ παραλληλεπίπεδα ὅμοιά τε καὶ ὁμοίως ἀναγραφόμενα ἀνάλογον ἔσται· καὶ ἐὰν τὰ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν στερεὰ παραλληλεπίπεδα ὅμοιά τε καὶ ὁμοίως ἀναγραφόμενα ἀνάλογον ᾖ, καὶ αὐταὶ αἱ εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον ἔσονται.
If four straight lines be proportional, the solid parallelepipeds on them which are similar and similarly described will also be proportional; and, if the solid parallelepipeds on them which are similar and similarly described be proportional, the straight lines themselves will also be proportional.
ἔστωσαν τέσσαρες εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον αἱ ΑΒ, ΓΔ, ΕΖ, ΗΘ, ὡς ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΓΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΖ πρὸς τὴν ΗΘ, καὶ ἀναγεγράφθωσαν ἀπὸ τῶν ΑΒ, ΓΔ, ΕΖ, ΗΘ ὅμοιά τε καὶ ὁμοίως κείμενα στερεὰ παραλληλεπίπεδα τὰ ΚΑ, ΛΓ, ΜΕ, ΝΗ· λέγω, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς τὸ ΚΑ πρὸς τὸ ΛΓ, οὕτως τὸ ΜΕ πρὸς τὸ ΝΗ. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὅμοιόν ἐστι τὸ ΚΑ στερεὸν παραλληλεπίπεδον τῷ ΛΓ, τὸ ΚΑ ἄρα πρὸς τὸ ΛΓ τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΓΔ. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ τὸ ΜΕ πρὸς τὸ ΝΗ τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ΕΖ πρὸς τὴν ΗΘ. καί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΓΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΖ πρὸς τὴν ΗΘ. καὶ ὡς ἄρα τὸ ΑΚ πρὸς τὸ ΛΓ, οὕτως τὸ ΜΕ πρὸς τὸ ΝΗ. ἀλλὰ δὴ ἔστω ὡς τὸ ΑΚ στερεὸν πρὸς τὸ ΛΓ στερεόν, οὕτως τὸ ΜΕ στερεὸν πρὸς τὸ ΝΗ· λέγω, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ ΑΒ εὐθεῖα πρὸς τὴν ΓΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΖ πρὸς τὴν ΗΘ. ἐπεὶ γὰρ πάλιν τὸ ΚΑ πρὸς τὸ ΛΓ τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΓΔ, ἔχει δὲ καὶ τὸ ΜΕ πρὸς τὸ ΝΗ τριπλασίονα λόγον ἤπερ ἡ ΕΖ πρὸς τὴν ΗΘ, καί ἐστιν ὡς τὸ ΚΑ πρὸς τὸ ΛΓ, οὕτως τὸ ΜΕ πρὸς τὸ ΝΗ, καὶ ὡς ἄρα ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΓΔ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΖ πρὸς τὴν ΗΘ. ἐὰν ἄρα τέσσαρες εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον ὦσι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς τῆς προτάσεως·
Let there be four proportional straight lines AB, CD, EZ, HQ, as AB is to CD, so EZ to HQ, and let there be described on AB, CD, EZ, HQ similar and similarly situated solid parallelepipeds KA, LC, ME, NH; I say that, as KA is to LC, so is ME to NH. For, since the solid parallelepiped KA is similar to LC, therefore KA has to LC a ratio triplicate of that which AB has to CD. For the same reasons indeed ME also has to NH a ratio triplicate of that which EZ has to HQ. And, as AB is to CD, so is EZ to HQ; therefore also, as AK is to LC, so is ME to NH. But now let the solid AK be to the solid LC, as the solid ME is to NH; I say that, as the straight line AB is to CD, so is EZ to HQ. For, since again KA has to LC a ratio triplicate of that which AB has to CD, and ME also has to NH a ratio triplicate of that which EZ has to HQ, and as KA is to LC, so is ME to NH, therefore also, as AB is to CD, so is EZ to HQ. Therefore, if four straight lines be proportional, and so on of the proposition.
ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Which it was required to prove.

Notes

  1. ¦5¦ἰσογωνίῳ δὲ τῷ προειρημένῳ — The adjective ἰσογωνίῳ (equiangular) takes the dative τῷ προειρημένῳ (with the aforesaid [solid]) as its complement. The 'aforesaid solid' refers to the solid parallelepiped formed from the three straight lines A, B, G.
  2. ¦20¦περὶ ἴσας γωνίας τὰς ὑπὸ ΝΛΜ, ΔΕΖ αἱ πλευραὶ ἀντιπεπόνθασιν — The verb ἀντιπεπόνθασιν is the perfect active third-person plural of ἀντιπάσχω (to be reciprocally proportional). It expresses that the sides containing the equal angles are in reciprocal proportion. The preposition περί with the accusative means 'about' or 'containing'.
  3. ¦30¦ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος — The preposition ὑπό with the accusative (τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος) is used here idiomatically to express being 'under the same height', meaning 'of the same height' or 'having equal altitude'.
  4. ¦15¦τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει — The phrase τριπλάσιος λόγος (triplicate ratio) corresponds to the 'cubed ratio' in modern mathematics, based on Book XI, Proposition 33, which states that the ratio of similar solid volumes is the triplicate of their corresponding sides.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §11.prop.36-11.prop.37. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:11.prop.36-11.prop.37

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