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Euclid · Elements §13.prop.1

Extreme and Mean Ratio and Fivefold Square on Half

Passage 294 of 316 · Greek

Summary

This proposition proves that if a straight line is cut in extreme and mean ratio, the square on the greater segment added to half of the whole line is five times the square on the half.

§13.prop.1ἐὰν εὐθεῖα γραμμὴ ἄκρον καὶ μέσον λόγον τμηθῇ, τὸ μεῖζον τμῆμα προσλαβὸν τὴν ἡμίσειαν τῆς ὅλης πενταπλάσιον δύναται τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμισείας τετραγώνου.
If a straight line is cut in extreme and mean ratio, the square on the greater segment added to half of the whole is five times the square on the half.
εὐθεῖα γὰρ γραμμὴ ἡ ΑΒ ἄκρον καὶ μέσον λόγον τετμήσθω κατὰ τὸ Γ σημεῖον, καὶ ἔστω μεῖζον τμῆμα τὸ ΑΓ, καὶ ἐκβεβλήσθω ἐπʼ εὐθείας τῇ ΓΑ εὐθεῖα ἡ ΑΔ, καὶ κείσθω τῆς ΑΒ ἡμίσεια ἡ ΑΔ· λέγω, ὅτι πενταπλάσιόν ἐστι τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΓΔ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΔΑ. ἀναγεγράφθωσαν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ΑΒ, ΔΓ τετράγωνα τὰ ΑΕ, ΔΖ, καὶ καταγεγράφθω ἐν τῷ ΔΖ τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ διήχθω ἡ ΖΓ ἐπὶ τὸ Η. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἡ ΑΒ ἄκρον καὶ μέσον λόγον τέτμηται κατὰ τὸ Γ, τὸ ἄρα ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΒΓ ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΓ. καί ἐστι τὸ μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΒΓ τὸ ΓΕ, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΓ τὸ ΖΘ· ἴσον ἄρα τὸ ΓΕ τῷ ΖΘ. καὶ ἐπεὶ διπλῆ ἐστιν ἡ ΒΑ τῆς ΑΔ, ἴση δὲ ἡ μὲν ΒΑ τῇ ΚΑ, ἡ δὲ ΑΔ τῇ ΑΘ, διπλῆ ἄρα καὶ ἡ ΚΑ τῆς ΑΘ. ὡς δὲ ἡ ΚΑ πρὸς τὴν ΑΘ, οὕτως τὸ ΓΚ πρὸς τὸ ΓΘ· διπλάσιον ἄρα τὸ ΓΚ τοῦ ΓΘ. εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ τὰ ΛΘ, ΘΓ διπλάσια τοῦ ΓΘ. ἴσον ἄρα τὸ ΚΓ τοῖς ΛΘ, ΘΓ. ἐδείχθη δὲ καὶ τὸ ΓΕ τῷ ΘΖ ἴσον· ὅλον ἄρα τὸ ΑΕ τετράγωνον ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ΜΝΞ γνώμονι.
For let the straight line AB be cut in extreme and mean ratio at the point G, and let AG be the greater segment, and let a straight line AD be produced in a straight line with GA, and let AD be laid down equal to half of AB; I say that the square on GD is five times the square on DA. For let the squares AE, DZ be described on AB, DG, and let the figure be drawn in DZ, and let ZG be drawn through to H. And since AB has been cut in extreme and mean ratio at G, therefore the rectangle contained by AB, BG is equal to the square on AG. And the rectangle contained by AB, BG is GE, and the square on AG is ZTh; therefore GE is equal to ZTh. And since BA is double AD, and BA is equal to KA, and AD to ATh, therefore KA is also double ATh. And as KA is to ATh, so is GK to GTh; therefore GK is double GTh. But LTh, ThG are also double GTh; therefore KG is equal to LTh, ThG. And GE was also shown to be equal to ThZ; therefore the whole square AE is equal to the gnomon MNX.
καὶ ἐπεὶ διπλῆ ἐστιν ἡ ΒΑ τῆς ΑΔ, τετραπλάσιόν ἐστι τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΒΑ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΑΔ, τουτέστι τὸ ΑΕ τοῦ ΔΘ. ἴσον δὲ τὸ ΑΕ τῷ ΜΝΞ γνώμονι· καὶ ὁ ΜΝΞ ἄρα γνώμων τετραπλάσιός ἐστι τοῦ ΑΟ· ὅλον ἄρα τὸ ΔΖ πενταπλάσιόν ἐστι τοῦ ΑΟ. καί ἐστι τὸ μὲν ΔΖ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΔΓ, τὸ δὲ ΑΟ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ΔΑ· τὸ ἄρα ἀπὸ τῆς ΓΔ πενταπλάσιόν ἐστι τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ΔΑ. ἐὰν ἄρα εὐθεῖα ἄκρον καὶ μέσον λόγον τμηθῇ, τὸ μεῖζον τμῆμα προσλαβὸν τὴν ἡμίσειαν τῆς ὅλης πενταπλάσιον δύναται τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμισείας τετραγώνου· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
And since BA is double AD, the square on BA is four times the square on AD, that is, AE is four times DTh. But AE is equal to the gnomon MNX; therefore the gnomon MNX is also four times AO; therefore the whole DZ is five times AO. And DZ is the square on DG, and AO is the square on DA; therefore the square on GD is five times the square on DA. Therefore, if a straight line is cut in extreme and mean ratio, the square on the greater segment added to half of the whole is five times the square on the half; which it was required to prove.

Notes

  1. §13.prop.1πενταπλάσιον δύναται — The verb δύναται in a mathematical context means 'to be equal to in square (or area)'. With the accusative (here πενταπλάσιον, 'five times'), it means 'to equal five times the square of'. The genitive case τοῦ ἀπὸ... represents the reference square (the square on the half).
  2. ¦15¦τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΒΓ — This is a highly abbreviated expression for τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΒ, ΒΓ περιεχόμενον ὀρθογώνιον ('the rectangle contained by AB, BG'). In Greek mathematical texts, two straight lines sharing a point B are often represented concisely by three letters ΑΒΓ, with the shared letter placed in the middle.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §13.prop.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:13.prop.1

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