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Euclid · Elements §12.prop.17#3

Separation of Polyhedron from Inner Sphere and the Porism

Passage 292 of 316 · Greek

Summary

By proving that the distance from the center to a base of the polyhedron is greater than the radius of the inner sphere, it is shown that the polyhedron does not touch the inner sphere. As a porism, it is established that the volumes of similar polyhedra inscribed in spheres are in the triplicate ratio of their diameters.

§12.prop.17#3καὶ ἐπεὶ μείζων ἐστὶν ἡ ΚΒ τῆς ΧΦ, ἴση δὲ ἡ ΧΦ τῇ ΣΟ, μείζων ἄρα ἡ ΚΒ τῆς ΣΟ. ἴση δὲ ἡ ΚΒ ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν ΚΣ, ΒΟ· καὶ ἑκατέρα ἄρα τῶν ΚΣ, ΒΟ τῆς ΣΟ μείζων ἐστίν.
And since KB is greater than ChPh, and ChPh is equal to SO, therefore KB is greater than SO. And KB is equal to each of KS, BO; therefore each of KS, BO is also greater than SO.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐν κύκλῳ τετράπλευρόν ἐστι τὸ ΚΒΟΣ, καὶ ἴσαι αἱ ΚΒ, ΒΟ, ΚΣ, καὶ ἐλάττων ἡ ΟΣ, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κέντρου τοῦ κύκλου ἐστὶν ἡ ΒΨ, τὸ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῆς ΚΒ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΨ μεῖζόν ἐστιν ἢ διπλάσιον.
And since the quadrilateral KBOS is in a circle, and KB, BO, KS are equal, and OS is less, and BPs is the radius of the circle, therefore the square on KB is greater than double the square on BPs.
ἤχθω ἀπὸ τοῦ Κ ἐπὶ τὴν ΒΦ κάθετος ἡ ΚΩ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἡ ΒΔ τῆς ΔΩ ἐλάττων ἐστὶν ἢ διπλῆ, καί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ ΒΔ πρὸς τὴν ΔΩ, οὕτως τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν ΔΒ, ΒΩ πρὸς τὸ ὑπὸ ΔΩ, ΩΒ, ἀναγραφομένου ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΩ τετραγώνου καὶ συμπληρουμένου τοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς ΩΔ παραλληλογράμμου καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ ΔΒ, ΒΩ ἄρα τοῦ ὑπὸ ΔΩ, ΩΒ ἔλαττόν ἐστιν ἢ διπλάσιον.
Let the perpendicular KOmega be drawn from K to BPh. And since BD is less than double DOmega, and as BD is to DOmega, so is the rectangle contained by DB, BOmega to the rectangle contained by DOmega, OmegaB—the square on BOmega being described and the parallelogram on OmegaD being completed—therefore the rectangle contained by DB, BOmega is also less than double the rectangle contained by DOmega, OmegaB.
καί ἐστι τῆς ΚΔ ἐπιζευγνυμένης τὸ μὲν ὑπὸ ΔΒ, ΒΩ ἴσον τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΚ, τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ΔΩ, ΩΒ ἴσον τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ΚΩ· τὸ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῆς ΚΒ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΚΩ ἔλασσόν ἐστιν ἢ διπλάσιον.
And, KD being joined, the rectangle contained by DB, BOmega is equal to the square on BK, while the rectangle contained by DOmega, OmegaB is equal to the square on KOmega; therefore the square on KB is less than double the square on KOmega.
ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΚΒ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΨ μεῖζόν ἐστιν ἢ διπλάσιον· μεῖζον ἄρα τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΚΩ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΨ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΒΑ τῇ ΚΑ, ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΑ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΚ. καί ἐστι τῷ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΑ ἴσα τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ΒΨ, ΨΑ, τῷ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ΚΑ ἴσα τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ΚΩ, ΩΑ· τὰ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῶν ΒΨ, ΨΑ ἴσα ἐστὶ τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ΚΩ, ΩΑ, ὧν τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΚΩ μεῖζον τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΨ·
But the square on KB is greater than double the square on BPs; therefore the square on KOmega is greater than the square on BPs. And since BA is equal to KA, the square on BA is also equal to the square on AK. And the squares on BPs, PsA are equal to the square on BA, while the squares on KOmega, OmegaA are equal to the square on KA; therefore the squares on BPs, PsA are equal to the squares on KOmega, OmegaA, of which the square on KOmega is greater than the square on BPs; therefore the remaining square on OmegaA is less than the square on PsA.
λοιπὸν ἄρα τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΩΑ ἔλασσόν ἐστι τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΨΑ. μείζων ἄρα ἡ ΑΨ τῆς ΑΩ·
Therefore APs is greater than AOmega; therefore APs is much greater than AH.
πολλῷ ἄρα ἡ ΑΨ μείζων ἐστὶ τῆς ΑΗ. καί ἐστιν ἡ μὲν ΑΨ ἐπὶ μίαν τοῦ πολυέδρου βάσιν, ἡ δὲ ΑΗ ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς ἐλάσσονος σφαίρας ἐπιφάνειαν· ὥστε τὸ πολύεδρον οὐ ψαύσει τῆς ἐλάσσονος σφαίρας κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν.
And APs is perpendicular to one base of the polyhedron, and AH is to the surface of the lesser sphere; so that the polyhedron will not touch the lesser sphere at its surface.
δύο ἄρα σφαιρῶν περὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κέντρον οὐσῶν εἰς τὴν μείζονα σφαῖραν στερεὸν πολύεδρον ἐγγέγραπται μὴ ψαῦον τῆς ἐλάσσονος σφαίρας κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν· ὅπερ ἔδει ποιῆσαι.
Therefore, two spheres being about the same center, a solid polyhedron has been inscribed in the greater sphere, not touching the lesser sphere at its surface; which it was required to do.
Πόρισμα ἐὰν δὲ καὶ εἰς ἑτέραν σφαῖραν τῷ ἐν τῇ ΒΓΔΕ σφαίρᾳ στερεῷ πολυέδρῳ ὅμοιον στερεὸν πολύεδρον ἐγγραφῇ, τὸ ἐν τῇ ΒΓΔΕ σφαίρᾳ στερεὸν πολύεδρον πρὸς τὸ ἐν τῇ ἑτέρᾳ σφαίρᾳ στερεὸν πολύεδρον τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει, ἤπερ ἡ τῆς ΒΓΔΕ σφαίρας διάμετρος πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἑτέρας σφαίρας διάμετρον.
Porism And if in another sphere also a solid polyhedron similar to the solid polyhedron in the sphere BGDE be inscribed, the solid polyhedron in the sphere BGDE has to the solid polyhedron in the other sphere the triplicate ratio of that which the diameter of the sphere BGDE has to the diameter of the other sphere.
διαιρεθέντων γὰρ τῶν στερεῶν εἰς τὰς ὁμοιοπληθεῖς καὶ ὁμοιοταγεῖς πυραμίδας ἔσονται αἱ πυραμίδες ὅμοιαι.
For, the solids being divided into similar pyramids equal in number and in the same order, the pyramids will be similar.
αἱ δὲ ὅμοιαι πυραμίδες πρὸς ἀλλήλας ἐν τριπλασίονι λόγῳ εἰσὶ τῶν ὁμολόγων πλευρῶν· ἡ ἄρα πυραμίς, ἧς βάσις μέν ἐστι τὸ ΚΒΟΣ τετράπλευρον, κορυφὴ δὲ τὸ Α σημεῖον, πρὸς τὴν ἐν τῇ ἑτέρᾳ σφαίρᾳ ὁμοιοταγῆ πυραμίδα τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει, ἤπερ ἡ ὁμόλογος πλευρὰ πρὸς τὴν ὁμόλογον πλευράν, τουτέστιν ἤπερ ἡ ΑΒ ἐκ τοῦ κέντρου τῆς σφαίρας τῆς περὶ κέντρον τὸ Α πρὸς τὴν ἐκ τοῦ κέντρου τῆς ἑτέρας σφαίρας.
But similar pyramids are to one another in the triplicate ratio of their corresponding sides; therefore the pyramid of which the base is the quadrilateral KBOS, and the vertex is the point A, has to the pyramid in the other sphere in the same order the triplicate ratio of that which the corresponding side has to the corresponding side, that is, of that which AB from the center of the sphere about the center A has to the radius from the center of the other sphere.
ὁμοίως καὶ ἑκάστη πυραμὶς τῶν ἐν τῇ περὶ κέντρον τὸ Α σφαίρᾳ πρὸς ἑκάστην ὁμοταγῆ πυραμίδα τῶν ἐν τῇ ἑτέρᾳ σφαίρᾳ τριπλασίονα λόγον ἕξει, ἤπερ ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ἐκ τοῦ κέντρου τῆς ἑτέρας σφαίρας.
Similarly also each pyramid of those in the sphere about the center A will have to each pyramid in the same order of those in the other sphere the triplicate ratio of that which AB has to the radius of the other sphere.
καὶ ὡς ἓν τῶν ἡγουμένων πρὸς ἓν τῶν ἑπομένων, οὕτως ἅπαντα τὰ ἡγούμενα πρὸς ἅπαντα τὰ ἑπόμενα· ὥστε ὅλον τὸ ἐν τῇ περὶ κέντρον τὸ Α σφαίρᾳ στερεὸν πολύεδρον πρὸς ὅλον τὸ ἐν τῇ ἑτέρᾳ στερεὸν πολύεδρον τριπλασίονα λόγον ἕξει, ἤπερ ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ἐκ τοῦ κέντρου τῆς ἑτέρας σφαίρας, τουτέστιν ἤπερ ἡ ΒΔ διάμετρος πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἑτέρας σφαίρας διάμετρον· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
And as one of the antecedents is to one of the consequents, so are all the antecedents to all the consequents; so that the whole solid polyhedron in the sphere about the center A will have to the whole solid polyhedron in the other sphere the triplicate ratio of that which AB has to the radius of the other sphere, that is, of that which the diameter BD has to the diameter of the other sphere; which it was required to prove.

Notes

  1. 105τὸ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῆς ΚΒ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΨ μεῖζόν ἐστιν ἢ διπλάσιον — The genitive τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΨ depends on the comparative μειζόν, and ἢ διπλάσιον operates as an adverbial phrase meaning 'than double' or 'more than double'.
  2. 110ἀναγραφομένου ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΩ τετραγώνου καὶ συμπληρουμένου τοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς ΩΔ παραλληλογράμμου — A genitive absolute construction adding the geometrical operations ('the square on BOmega being described and the parallelogram on OmegaD being completed') as a condition or step in the proof.
  3. 140τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει, ἤπερ ἡ τῆς ΒΓΔΕ σφαίρας διάμετρος πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἑτέρας σφαίρας διάμετρον — The term τριπλάσιος λόγος ('triplicate ratio') in Greek mathematics is a technical expression indicating that the ratio of the volumes of solid figures is equal to the cube of the ratio of their corresponding linear dimensions.
  4. 155καὶ ὡς ἓν τῶν ἡγουμένων πρὸς ἓν τῶν ἑπομένων, οὕτως ἅπαντα τὰ ἡγούμενα πρὸς ἅπαντα τὰ ἑπόμενα — This applies the property of proportions (alternando/componendo rule) defined in Elements, Book 5, Proposition 12, stating that if any number of magnitudes are proportional, as one of the antecedents (ἡγούμενα) is to one of the consequents (ἑπόμενα), so will the sum of all the antecedents be to the sum of all the consequents.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §12.prop.17#3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:12.prop.17%233

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