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Euclid · Elements §12.prop.1

Ratio of Inscribed Similar Polygons to Squares on Diameters

Passage 268 of 316 · Greek

Summary

It is proved that the ratio of the areas of two similar polygons inscribed in circles is equal to the ratio of the squares on the diameters of the circles.

§12.prop.1τὰ ἐν τοῖς κύκλοις ὅμοια πολύγωνα πρὸς ἄλληλά ἐστιν ὡς τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν διαμέτρων τετράγωνα.
Similar polygons in circles are to one another as the squares on the diameters.
ἔστωσαν κύκλοι οἱ ΑΒΓ, ΖΗΘ, καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς ὅμοια πολύγωνα ἔστω τὰ ΑΒΓΔΕ, ΖΗΘΚΛ, διάμετροι δὲ τῶν κύκλων ἔστωσαν αἱ ΒΜ, ΗΝ· λέγω, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΜ τετράγωνον πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΗΝ τετράγωνον, οὕτως τὸ ΑΒΓΔΕ πολύγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΖΗΘΚΛ πολύγωνον.
Let there be circles ABG, ZHQ, and in them let there be similar polygons ABGDE, ZHQKL, and let the diameters of the circles be BM, HN; I say that, as the square on BM is to the square on HN, so is the polygon ABGDE to the polygon ZHQKL.
ἐπεζεύχθωσαν γὰρ αἱ ΒΕ, ΑΜ, ΗΛ, ΖΝ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὅμοιον τὸ ΑΒΓΔΕ πολύγωνον τῷ ΖΗΘΚΛ πολυγώνῳ, ἴση ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΒΑΕ γωνία τῇ ὑπὸ ΗΖΛ, καί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ ΒΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΕ, οὕτως ἡ ΗΖ πρὸς τὴν ΖΛ. δύο δὴ τρίγωνά ἐστι τὰ ΒΑΕ, ΗΖΛ μίαν γωνίαν μιᾷ γωνίᾳ ἴσην ἔχοντα τὴν ὑπὸ ΒΑΕ τῇ ὑπὸ ΗΖΛ, περὶ δὲ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας τὰς πλευρὰς ἀνάλογον· ἰσογώνιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΕ τρίγωνον τῷ ΖΗΛ τριγώνῳ.
For let BE, AM, HL, ZN be joined. And, since the polygon ABGDE is similar to the polygon ZHQKL, the angle BAE is also equal to HZL, and, as BA is to AE, so is HZ to ZL. There are indeed two triangles BAE, HZL having one angle equal to one angle, namely BAE to HZL, and the sides about the equal angles proportional; therefore the triangle ABE is equiangular with the triangle ZHL.
ἴση ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΕΒ γωνία τῇ ὑπὸ ΖΛΗ. ἀλλʼ ἡ μὲν ὑπὸ ΑΕΒ τῇ ὑπὸ ΑΜΒ ἐστιν ἴση· ἐπὶ γὰρ τῆς αὐτῆς περιφερείας βεβήκασιν· ἡ δὲ ὑπὸ ΖΛΗ τῇ ὑπὸ ΖΝΗ· καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΜΒ ἄρα τῇ ὑπὸ ΖΝΗ ἐστιν ἴση.
Therefore the angle AEB is equal to ZLH. But the angle AEB is equal to AMB, for they stand on the same circumference; and ZLH is equal to ZNH; therefore the angle AMB is also equal to ZNH.
ἔστι δὲ καὶ ὀρθὴ ἡ ὑπὸ ΒΑΜ ὀρθῇ τῇ ὑπὸ ΗΖΝ ἴση· καὶ ἡ λοιπὴ ἄρα τῇ λοιπῇ ἐστιν ἴση.
But the right angle BAM is also equal to the right angle HZN; therefore the remaining angle is also equal to the remaining angle.
ἰσογώνιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΜ τρίγωνον τῷ ΖΗΝ τριγώνῳ.
Therefore the triangle ABM is equiangular with the triangle ZHN.
ἀνάλογον ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ ΒΜ πρὸς τὴν ΗΝ, οὕτως ἡ ΒΑ πρὸς τὴν ΗΖ. ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὲν τῆς ΒΜ πρὸς τὴν ΗΝ λόγου διπλασίων ἐστὶν ὁ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΜ τετραγώνου πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΗΝ τετράγωνον, τοῦ δὲ τῆς ΒΑ πρὸς τὴν ΗΖ διπλασίων ἐστὶν ὁ τοῦ ΑΒΓΔΕ πολυγώνου πρὸς τὸ ΖΗ ΘΚΛ πολύγωνον· καὶ ὡς ἄρα τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΜ τετράγωνον πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΗΝ τετράγωνον, οὕτως τὸ ΑΒΓΔΕ πολύγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΖΗΘΚΛ πολύγωνον.
Therefore, proportionally, as BM is to HN, so is BA to HZ. But the ratio of the square on BM to the square on HN is duplicate of the ratio of BM to HN, and the ratio of the polygon ABGDE to the polygon ZHQKL is duplicate of the ratio of BA to HZ; therefore, as the square on BM is to the square on HN, so is the polygon ABGDE to the polygon ZHQKL.
τὰ ἄρα ἐν τοῖς κύκλοις ὅμοια πολύγωνα πρὸς ἄλληλά ἐστιν ὡς τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν διαμέτρων τετράγωνα·
Therefore, similar polygons in circles are to one another as the squares on the diameters.
ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Which it was required to prove.

Notes

  1. §12.prop.1τὰ ἐν τοῖς κύκλοις ὅμοια πολύγωνα — The prepositional phrase ἐν τοῖς κύκλοις ("in the circles") in this geometrical context means "inscribed in the circles."
  2. §12.prop.1ὀρθὴ ἡ ὑπὸ ΒΑΜ ὀρθῇ τῇ ὑπὸ ΗΖΝ ἴση — The angles BAM and HZN are right angles because BM and HN are diameters, making them angles in a semicircle (inscribed angles subtended by the diameters) according to Book III, Proposition 31.
  3. §12.prop.1διπλασίων ἐστὶν — The term "double" (διπλασίων) of a ratio refers to the "duplicate ratio" (the ratio squared) in the context of geometric proportions. It denotes that the ratio of the areas of similar figures is duplicate of the ratio of their corresponding sides (Book VI, Proposition 20).

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §12.prop.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.prop.1

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