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Euclid · Elements §12.prop.11#1

Ratio of Cones of Equal Height: Beginning of Proof

Passage 282 of 316 · Greek

Summary

In the proof of Proposition 11, which states that the ratio of cones and cylinders of the same height equals the ratio of their bases, the author assumes the contrary and begins constructing inscribed polygons and pyramids for a proof by contradiction (exhaustion).

§12.prop.11#1οἱ ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος ὄντες κῶνοι καὶ κύλινδροι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰσὶν ὡς αἱ βάσεις. ἔστωσαν ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος κῶνοι καὶ κύλινδροι, ὧν βάσεις μὲν οἱ ΑΒΓΔ, ΕΖΗΘ κύκλοι, ἄξονες δὲ οἱ ΚΛ, ΜΝ, διάμετροι δὲ τῶν βάσεων αἱ ΑΓ, ΕΗ· λέγω, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς ὁ ΑΒΓΔ κύκλος πρὸς τὸν ΕΖΗΘ κύκλον, οὕτως ὁ ΑΛ κῶνος πρὸς τὸν ΕΝ κῶνον. εἰ γὰρ μή, ἔσται ὡς ὁ ΑΒΓΔ κύκλος πρὸς τὸν ΕΖΗΘ κύκλον, οὕτως ὁ ΑΛ κῶνος ἤτοι πρὸς ἔλασσόν τι τοῦ ΕΝ κώνου στερεὸν ἢ πρὸς μεῖζον.
and cylinders which are of the same height are to one another as their bases.Let there be cones and cylinders of the same height, of which the bases are the circles ABCD, EZHTh, the axes KL, MN, and the diameters of the bases AC, EH; I say that, as the circle ABCD is to the circle EZHTh, so is the cone AL to the cone EN.For, if not, as the circle ABCD is to the circle EZHTh, so will the cone AL be either to some solid less than the cone EN or to a greater.
ἔστω πρότερον πρὸς ἔλασσον τὸ Ξ, καὶ ᾧ ἔλασσόν ἐστι τὸ Ξ στερεὸν τοῦ ΕΝ κώνου, ἐκείνῳ ἴσον ἔστω τὸ Ψ στερεόν· ὁ ΕΝ κῶνος ἄρα ἴσος ἐστὶ τοῖς Ξ, Ψ στερεοῖς.
Let it be first to a less, namely X, and let the solid Ps be equal to that by which the solid X is less than the cone EN; therefore the cone EN is equal to the solids X, Ps.
ἐγγεγράφθω εἰς τὸν ΕΖΗΘ κύκλον τετράγωνον τὸ ΕΖΗΘ· τὸ ἄρα τετράγωνον μεῖζόν ἐστιν ἢ τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ κύκλου.
Let there be inscribed in the circle EZHTh the square EZHTh; therefore the square is greater than the half of the circle.
ἀνεστάτω ἀπὸ τοῦ ΕΖ ΗΘ τετραγώνου πυραμὶς ἰσοϋψὴς τῷ κώνῳ· ἡ ἄρα ἀνασταθεῖσα πυραμὶς μείζων ἐστὶν ἢ τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ κώνου, ἐπειδήπερ ἐὰν περιγράψωμεν περὶ τὸν κύκλον τετράγωνον, καὶ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ἀναστήσωμεν πυραμίδα ἰσοϋψῆ τῷ κώνῳ, ἡ ἐγγραφεῖσα πυραμὶς ἥμισύ ἐστι τῆς περιγραφείσης· πρὸς ἀλλήλας γάρ εἰσιν ὡς αἱ βάσεις· ἐλάττων δὲ ὁ κῶνος τῆς περιγραφείσης πυραμίδος.
And let there be set up from the square EZHTh a pyramid of equal height with the cone; therefore the pyramid set up is greater than the half of the cone, because if we circumscribe a square about the circle, and set up from it a pyramid of equal height with the cone, the inscribed pyramid is half of the circumscribed; for they are to one another as their bases; and the cone is less than the circumscribed pyramid.
τετμήσθωσαν αἱ ΕΖ, ΖΗ, ΗΘ, ΘΕ περιφέρειαι δίχα κατὰ τὰ Ο, Π, Ρ, Σ σημεῖα, καὶ ἐπεζεύχθωσαν αἱ ΘΟ, ΟΕ, ΕΠ, ΠΖ, ΖΡ, ΡΗ, ΗΣ, ΣΘ. ἕκαστον ἄρα τῶν ΘΟΕ, ΕΠΖ, ΖΡΗ, ΗΣΘ τριγώνων μεῖζόν ἐστιν ἢ τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ καθʼ ἑαυτὸ τμήματος τοῦ κύκλου.
Let the circumferences EZ, ZH, HTh, ThE be bisected at the points O, P, R, S, and let ThO, OE, EP, PZ, ZR, RH, HS, STh be joined. Therefore each of the triangles ThOE, EPZ, ZRH, HSTh is greater than the half of the segment of the circle corresponding to it.
ἀνεστάτω ἐφʼ ἑκάστου τῶν ΘΟΕ, ΕΠΖ, ΖΡΗ, ΗΣΘ τριγώνων πυραμὶς ἰσοϋψὴς τῷ κώνῳ· καὶ ἑκάστη ἄρα τῶν ἀνασταθεισῶν πυραμίδων μείζων ἐστὶν ἢ τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ καθʼ ἑαυτὴν τμήματος τοῦ κώνου.
And let there be set up on each of the triangles ThOE, EPZ, ZRH, HSTh a pyramid of equal height with the cone; therefore also each of the pyramids set up is greater than the half of the segment of the cone corresponding to it.
τέμνοντες δὴ τὰς ὑπολειπομένας περιφερείας δίχα καὶ ἐπιζευγνύντες εὐθείας καὶ ἀνιστάντες ἐπὶ ἑκάστου τῶν τριγώνων πυραμίδας ἰσοϋψεῖς τῷ κώνῳ καὶ ἀεὶ τοῦτο ποιοῦντες καταλείψομέν τινα ἀποτμήματα τοῦ κώνου, ἃ ἔσται ἐλάσσονα τοῦ Ψ στερεοῦ.
Therefore, bisecting the remaining circumferences and joining straight lines and setting up on each of the triangles pyramids of equal height with the cone and doing this continually, we shall leave some segments of the cone which will be less than the solid Ps.
λελείφθω, καὶ ἔστω τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ΘΟΕ, ΕΠΖ, ΖΡΗ, ΗΣΘ· λοιπὴ ἄρα ἡ πυραμίς, ἧς βάσις τὸ ΘΟΕΠΖΡΗΣ πολύγωνον, ὕψος δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ τῷ κώνῳ, μείζων ἐστὶ τοῦ Ξ στερεοῦ.
Let them be left, and let them be those on ThOE, EPZ, ZRH, HSTh; therefore, the remaining pyramid, whose base is the polygon ThOEPZRHS and height the same as the cone, is greater than the solid X.
ἐγγεγράφθω καὶ εἰς τὸν ΑΒΓΔ κύκλον τῷ ΘΟΕΠΖΡΗΣ πολυγώνῳ ὅμοιόν τε καὶ ὁμοίως κείμενον πολύγωνον τὸ ΔΤΑΥΒ ΦΓΧ, καὶ ἀνεστάτω ἐπʼ αὐτοῦ πυραμὶς ἰσοϋψὴς τῷ ΑΛ κώνῳ.
Let there be inscribed also in the circle ABCD a polygon DTAYBPhGCh similar and similarly situated to the polygon ThOEPZRHS, and let there be set up on it a pyramid of equal height with the cone AL.
ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐστιν ὡς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΓ πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΕΗ, οὕτως τὸ ΔΤΑΥΒΦΓΧ πολύγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΘΟΕ ΠΖΡΗΣ πολύγωνον, ὡς δὲ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΓ πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΕΗ, οὕτως ὁ ΑΒΓΔ κύκλος πρὸς τὸν ΕΖΗΘ κύκλον, καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ ΑΒΓΔ κύκλος πρὸς τὸν ΕΖΗΘ κύκλον, οὕτως τὸ ΔΤΑΥΒΦΓΧ πολύγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΘΟΕΠΖΡΗΣ πολύγωνον.
Since then, as the square on AC is to the square on EH, so is the polygon DTAYBPhGCh to the polygon ThOEPZRHS, and as the square on AC is to the square on EH, so is the circle ABCD to the circle EZHTh, therefore also, as the circle ABCD is to the circle EZHTh, so is the polygon DTAYBPhGCh to the polygon ThOEPZRHS.

Notes

  1. §12.prop.11#1οἱ ὑπὸ τὸ αὐτὸ ὕψος ὄντες — The expression "under the same height" (the preposition ὑπό with accusative) is a geometrical idiom in Greek mathematical texts meaning "of equal height". The participle ὄντες modifies the subject κῶνοι καὶ κύλινδροι.
  2. ¦10¦ἤτοι πρὸς ἔλασσόν τι τοῦ ΕΝ κώνου στερεὸν ἢ πρὸς μεῖζον — This is a typical introduction of a proof by contradiction (or trichotomy). It shows that if the fourth term of the ratio cannot be the cone EN, it must be either to a smaller solid or to a larger one. The conjunctions ἤτοι...ἤ mean "either...or".
  3. ¦10¦ᾧ ἔλασσόν ἐστι τὸ Ξ στερεὸν τοῦ ΕΝ κώνου, ἐκείνῳ ἴσον ἔστω τὸ Ψ στερεόν — The relative pronoun ᾧ (dative) correlates with the demonstrative pronoun ἐκείνῳ (dative). The dative ᾧ expresses the degree of difference ("by which [amount] the solid X is less than the cone EN"), indicating that the solid Ps is set equal to that difference.
  4. ¦45¦τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΓ — A geometrical elliptic expression meaning "the square on AC". The noun τετράγωνον (square) is omitted, and the preposition ἀπό indicates a square constructed from a line segment (i.e., AC squared). The subsequent τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΕΗ has the same structure.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §12.prop.11#1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.prop.11%231

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