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Euclid · Elements §12.prop.12#2

Similarity and Ratio of the Inscribed Pyramids

Passage 285 of 316 · Greek

Summary

The text geometrically proves the similarity of the corresponding small triangles making up the two cones and shows that the ratio of the volume of each corresponding pyramid is equal to the triplicate ratio of their corresponding base sides.

§12.prop.12#2καὶ περὶ ἴσας γωνίας τὰς ὑπὸ ΒΚΛ, ΖΜΝ αἱ πλευραὶ ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν· ὅμοιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΒΚΛ τρίγωνον τῷ ΖΜΝ τριγώνῳ.
And about the equal angles, those contained by BKL, ZMN, the sides are proportional; therefore the triangle BKL is similar to the triangle ZMN.
πάλιν, ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ ΒΚ πρὸς τὴν ΚΤ, οὕτως ἡ ΖΜ πρὸς τὴν ΜΟ, καὶ περὶ ἴσας γωνίας τὰς ὑπὸ ΒΚΤ, ΖΜΟ, ἐπειδήπερ, ὃ μέρος ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπὸ ΒΚΤ γωνία τῶν πρὸς τῷ Κ κέντρῳ τεσσάρων ὀρθῶν, τὸ αὐτὸ μέρος ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΖΜΟ γωνία τῶν πρὸς τῷ Μ κέντρῳ τεσσάρων ὀρθῶν· ἐπεὶ οὖν περὶ ἴσας γωνίας αἱ πλευραὶ ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν, ὅμοιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΒΚΤ τρίγωνον τῷ ΖΜΟ τριγώνῳ.
Again, since as BK is to KT, so is ZM to MO, and they are about equal angles, those contained by BKT, ZMO, since, whatever part the angle BKT is of the four right angles at the center K, the same part also is the angle ZMO of the four right angles at the center M; since, then, about equal angles the sides are proportional, therefore the triangle BKT is similar to the triangle ZMO.
πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ἐδείχθη ὡς ἡ ΒΚ πρὸς τὴν ΚΛ, οὕτως ἡ ΖΜ πρὸς τὴν ΜΝ, ἴση δὲ ἡ μὲν ΒΚ τῇ ΚΤ, ἡ δὲ ΖΜ τῇ ΟΜ, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΤΚ πρὸς τὴν ΚΛ, οὕτως ἡ ΟΜ πρὸς τὴν ΜΝ. καὶ περὶ ἴσας γωνίας τὰς ὑπὸ ΤΚΛ, ΟΜΝ·
Again, since it was shown that as BK is to KL, so is ZM to MN, and BK is equal to KT, and ZM to OM, therefore, as TK is to KL, so is OM to MN.
ὀρθαὶ γάρ· αἱ πλευραὶ ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν· ὅμοιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΛΚΤ τρίγωνον τῷ ΝΜΟ τριγώνῳ.
And about the equal angles, those contained by TKL, OMN—for they are right—the sides are proportional; therefore the triangle LKT is similar to the triangle NMO.
καὶ ἐπεὶ διὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τῶν ΛΚΒ, ΝΜΖ τριγώνων ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ ΛΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΚ, οὕτως ἡ ΝΖ πρὸς τὴν ΖΜ, διὰ δὲ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τῶν ΒΚΤ, ΖΜΟ τριγώνων ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ ΚΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΤ, οὕτως ἡ ΜΖ πρὸς τὴν ΖΟ, διʼ ἴσου ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΛΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΤ, οὕτως ἡ ΝΖ πρὸς τὴν ΖΟ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ διὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τῶν ΛΤΚ, ΝΟΜ τριγώνων ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ ΛΤ πρὸς τὴν ΤΚ, οὕτως ἡ ΝΟ πρὸς τὴν ΟΜ, διὰ δὲ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τῶν ΤΚΒ, ΟΜΖ τριγώνων ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ ΚΤ πρὸς τὴν ΤΒ, οὕτως ἡ ΜΟ πρὸς τὴν ΟΖ, διʼ ἴσου ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΛΤ πρὸς τὴν ΤΒ, οὕτως ἡ ΝΟ πρὸς τὴν ΟΖ. ἐδείχθη δὲ καὶ ὡς ἡ ΤΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΛ, οὕτως ἡ ΟΖ πρὸς τὴν ΖΝ. διʼ ἴσου ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΤΛ πρὸς τὴν ΛΒ, οὕτως ἡ ΟΝ πρὸς τὴν ΝΖ. τῶν ΛΤΒ, ΝΟΖ ἄρα τριγώνων ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν αἱ πλευραί· ἰσογώνια ἄρα ἐστὶ τὰ ΛΤΒ, ΝΟΖ τρίγωνα· ὥστε καὶ ὅμοια.
And since on account of the similarity of the triangles LKB, NMZ, as LB is to BK, so is NZ to ZM, and on account of the similarity of the triangles BKT, ZMO, as KB is to BT, so is MZ to ZO, therefore, ex aequali, as LB is to BT, so is NZ to ZO. Again, since on account of the similarity of the triangles LTK, NOM, as LT is to TK, so is NO to OM, and on account of the similarity of the triangles TKB, OMZ, as KT is to TB, so is MO to OZ, therefore, ex aequali, as LT is to TB, so is NO to OZ. And it was also shown that as TB is to BL, so is OZ to ZN. Therefore, ex aequali, as TL is to LB, so is ON to NZ. Therefore, of the triangles LTB, NOZ the sides are proportional; therefore the triangles LTB, NOZ are equiangular; and so they are also similar.
καὶ πυραμὶς ἄρα, ἧς βάσις μὲν τὸ ΒΚΤ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Λ σημεῖον, ὁμοία ἐστὶ πυραμίδι, ἧς βάσις μὲν τὸ ΖΜΟ τρίγωνον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Ν σημεῖον· ὑπὸ γὰρ ὁμοίων ἐπιπέδων περιέχονται ἴσων τὸ πλῆθος.
And therefore the pyramid, of which the base is the triangle BKT and the vertex the point L, is similar to the pyramid of which the base is the triangle ZMO and the vertex the point N; for they are contained by similar planes equal in multitude.
αἱ δὲ ὅμοιαι πυραμίδες καὶ τριγώνους ἔχουσαι βάσεις ἐν τριπλασίονι λόγῳ εἰσὶ τῶν ὁμολόγων πλευρῶν.
And similar pyramids having triangular bases are in the triplicate ratio of their corresponding sides.
ἡ ἄρα ΒΚΤΛ πυραμὶς πρὸς τὴν ΖΜΟΝ πυραμίδα τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ΒΚ πρὸς τὴν ΖΜ. ὁμοίως δὴ ἐπιζευγνύντες ἀπὸ τῶν Α, Χ, Δ, Φ, Γ, Υ ἐπὶ τὸ Κ εὐθείας καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν Ε, Σ, Θ, Ρ, Η, Π ἐπὶ τὸ Μ καὶ ἀνιστάντες ἐφʼ ἑκάστου τῶν τριγώνων πυραμίδας τὴν αὐτὴν κορυφὴν ἐχούσας τοῖς κώνοις δείξομεν, ὅτι καὶ ἑκάστη τῶν ὁμοταγῶν πυραμίδων πρὸς ἑκάστην ὁμοταγῆ πυραμίδα τριπλασίονα λόγον ἕξει ἤπερ ἡ ΒΚ ὁμόλογος πλευρὰ πρὸς τὴν ΖΜ ὁμόλογον πλευράν, τουτέστιν ἤπερ ἡ ΒΔ πρὸς τὴν ΖΘ.
Therefore the pyramid BKTL to the pyramid ZMON has the triplicate ratio of that which BK has to ZM. Indeed, similarly joining straight lines from A, X, D, Ph, G, Y to K, and from E, S, Th, R, H, P to M, and setting up on each of the triangles pyramids having the same vertex as the cones, we shall show that also each of the pyramids of the same order to each pyramid of the same order will have the triplicate ratio of that which the corresponding side BK has to the corresponding side ZM, that is, of that which BD has to ZTh.

Notes

  1. 60ὃ μέρος ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπὸ ΒΚΤ γωνία τῶν πρὸς τῷ Κ κέντρῳ τεσσάρων ὀρθῶν, τὸ αὐτὸ μέρος ἐστὶ ¦60¦ καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΖΜΟ γωνία — A correlative construction with the relative pronoun `ὅς`, literally meaning "whatever part the angle BKT is of the four right angles at the center K, the same part also is the angle ZMO...", indicating that the ratios of the two central angles to the full circumference (four right angles) are equal, and thus the two angles are equal.
  2. 73διʼ ἴσου — A mathematical term meaning "ex aequali" (by equality). Defined in *Elements* Book 5, Definition 17, it refers to the inference that if $A : B = D : E$ and $B : C = E : F$, then $A : C = D : F$ (ordered equal ratio, skipping the intermediate terms).
  3. 94τῶν ὁμοταγῶν πυραμίδων — The adjective `ὁμοταγής` (arranged in the same order, of the same rank, corresponding) modifies the noun `πυραμίς`. It refers to the pyramids standing on the triangles that occupy corresponding positions within the respective inscribed polygons.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §12.prop.12#2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.prop.12%232

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