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Euclid · Elements §5.prop.11-5.prop.12

Transitivity of Ratios and Sums of Antecedents

Passage 75 of 316 · Greek

Summary

In Book 5, Proposition 11, the transitivity of equal ratios is proved (if A:B = Γ:Δ and Γ:Δ = E:Z, then A:B = E:Z). In Proposition 12, it is proved that for any number of equal ratios, the ratio of the sum of the antecedents to the sum of the consequents is equal to any of the original ratios.

§5.prop.11οἱ τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ ἀλλήλοις εἰσὶν οἱ αὐτοί.
Ratios which are the same with the same ratio are also the same with one another.
ἔστωσαν γὰρ ὡς μὲν τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, ὡς δὲ τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, οὕτως τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ· λέγω, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ. εἰλήφθω γὰρ τῶν Α, Γ, Ε ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Η, Θ, Κ, τῶν δὲ Β, Δ, Ζ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Λ, Μ, Ν. καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, καὶ εἴληπται τῶν μὲν Α, Γ ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Η, Θ, τῶν δὲ Β, Δ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Λ, Μ, εἰ ἄρα ὑπερέχει τὸ Η τοῦ Λ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τὸ Θ τοῦ Μ, καὶ εἰ ἴσον ἐστίν, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἐλλείπει, ἐλλείπει.
For let as A is to B, so be Γ to Δ, and as Γ is to Δ, so be E to Z; I say that as A is to B, so is E to Z. For let there be taken equal multiples H, Θ, K of A, Γ, E, and other, as it may happen, equal multiples Λ, M, N of B, Δ, Z. And since as A is to B, so is Γ to Δ, and there have been taken equal multiples H, Θ of A, Γ, and other, as it may happen, equal multiples Λ, M of B, Δ, if therefore H exceeds Λ, Θ also exceeds M, and if equal, equal, and if less, less.
πάλιν, ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, οὕτως τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ, καὶ εἴληπται τῶν Γ, Ε ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Θ, Κ, τῶν δὲ Δ, Ζ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Μ, Ν, εἰ ἄρα ὑπερέχει τὸ Θ τοῦ Μ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τὸ Κ τοῦ Ν, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἔλαττον.
Again, since as Γ is to Δ, so is E to Z, and there have been taken equal multiples Θ, K of Γ, E, and other, as it may happen, equal multiples M, N of Δ, Z, if therefore Θ exceeds M, K also exceeds N, and if equal, equal, and if less, less.
ἀλλὰ εἰ ὑπερεῖχε τὸ Θ τοῦ Μ, ὑπερεῖχε καὶ τὸ Η τοῦ Λ, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἔλαττον· ὥστε καὶ εἰ ὑπερέχει τὸ Η τοῦ Λ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τὸ Κ τοῦ Ν, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἔλαττον.
But if Θ exceeded M, H also exceeded Λ, and if equal, equal, and if less, less; so that if also H exceeds Λ, K also exceeds N, and if equal, equal, and if less, less.
καί ἐστι τὰ μὲν Η, Κ τῶν Α, Ε ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια, τὰ δὲ Λ, Ν τῶν Β, Ζ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια·
And H, K are equal multiples of A, E, and Λ, N other, as it may happen, equal multiples of B, Z; therefore, as A is to B, so is E to Z.
ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ. οἱ ἄρα τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ ἀλλήλοις εἰσὶν οἱ αὐτοί· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore ratios which are the same with the same ratio are also the same with one another; which was to be proved.
§5.prop.12ἐὰν ᾖ ὁποσαοῦν μεγέθη ἀνάλογον, ἔσται ὡς ἓν τῶν ἡγουμένων πρὸς ἓν τῶν ἑπομένων, οὕτως ἅπαντα τὰ ἡγούμενα πρὸς ἅπαντα τὰ ἑπόμενα.
If any number of magnitudes be proportional, as one of the antecedents is to one of the consequents, so will all the antecedents be to all the consequents.
ἔστωσαν ὁποσαοῦν μεγέθη ἀνάλογον τὰ Α, Β, Γ, Δ, ε, Ζ, ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, καὶ τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ· λέγω, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὰ Α, Γ, Ε πρὸς τὰ Β, Δ, Ζ. εἰλήφθω γὰρ τῶν μὲν Α, Γ, Ε ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Η, Θ, Κ, τῶν δὲ Β, Δ, Ζ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Λ, Μ, Ν. καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, καὶ τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ, καὶ εἴληπται τῶν μὲν Α, Γ, Ε ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Η, Θ, Κ τῶν δὲ Β, Δ, Ζ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Λ, Μ, Ν, εἰ ἄρα ὑπερέχει τὸ Η τοῦ Λ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τὸ Θ τοῦ Μ, καὶ τὸ Κ τοῦ Ν, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἔλαττον.
Let there be any number of proportional magnitudes A, B, Γ, Δ, E, Z, as A is to B, so Γ to Δ, and E to Z; I say that as A is to B, so is A, Γ, E to B, Δ, Z. For let there be taken equal multiples H, Θ, K of A, Γ, E, and other, as it may happen, equal multiples Λ, M, N of B, Δ, Z. And since as A is to B, so is Γ to Δ, and E to Z, and there have been taken equal multiples H, Θ, K of A, Γ, E, and other, as it may happen, equal multiples Λ, M, N of B, Δ, Z, if therefore H exceeds Λ, Θ also exceeds M, and K exceeds N, and if equal, equal, and if less, less.
ὥστε καὶ εἰ ὑπερέχει τὸ Η τοῦ Λ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τὰ Η, Θ, Κ τῶν Λ, Μ, Ν, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσα, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἐλάττονα.
So that if also H exceeds Λ, the sum of H, Θ, K also exceeds the sum of Λ, M, N, and if equal, equal, and if less, less.
καί ἐστι τὸ μὲν Η καὶ τὰ Η, Θ, Κ τοῦ Α καὶ τῶν Α, Γ, Ε ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια, ἐπειδήπερ ἐὰν ᾖ ὁποσαοῦν μεγέθη ὁποσωνοῦν μεγεθῶν ἴσων τὸ πλῆθος ἕκαστον ἑκάστου ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσιον, ὁσαπλάσιόν ἐστιν ἓν τῶν μεγεθῶν ἑνός, τοσαυταπλάσια ἔσται καὶ τὰ πάντα τῶν πάντων.
And H and the sum of H, Θ, K are equal multiples of A and the sum of A, Γ, E, since indeed if any number of magnitudes be equal multiples, each of each, of any number of magnitudes equal in multitude, whatever multiple one of the magnitudes is of one, the same multiple will all also be of all.
διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ τὸ Λ καὶ τὰ Λ, Μ, Ν τοῦ Β καὶ τῶν β, Δ, Ζ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσια·
For the same reason indeed, Λ and the sum of Λ, M, N are equal multiples of B and the sum of B, Δ, Z.
ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὰ Α, Γ, Ε πρὸς τὰ Β, Δ, Ζ. ἐὰν ἄρα ᾖ ὁποσαοῦν μεγέθη ἀνάλογον, ἔσται ὡς ἓν τῶν ἡγουμένων πρὸς ἓν τῶν ἑπομένων, οὕτως ἅπαντα τὰ ἡγούμενα πρὸς ἅπαντα τὰ ἑπόμενα· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore, as A is to B, so is A, Γ, E to B, Δ, Z. Therefore, if any number of magnitudes be proportional, as one of the antecedents is to one of the consequents, so will all the antecedents be to all the consequents; which was to be proved.

Notes

  1. §5.prop.11οἱ τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ οἱ αὐτοὶ — Understood with the omission of the noun `λόγοι` (ratios) after the article `οἱ`. Since `ὁ αὐτός` takes the dative to mean 'the same as', `τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ` (to the same ratio) modifies `οἱ αὐτοί`, meaning 'ratios which are the same as the same ratio'. Together with the following `καὶ ἀλλήλοις` (with one another), it formulates the transitivity of equal ratios.
  2. §5.prop.11ἀλλὰ εἰ ὑπερεῖχε τὸ Θ τοῦ Μ — Although `εἰ` is followed by the indicative imperfect (`ὑπερεῖχε`), there is no particle `ἄν` in the apodosis. This construction does not express a counterfactual conditional, but rather a necessary logical consequence drawn from established relationships (if Θ exceeded M, then inevitably H exceeded Λ).
  3. §5.prop.12ἐπειδήπερ ἐὰν ᾖ ὁποσαοῦν μεγέθη — A complex subordinate clause where an entire conditional sentence starting with `ἐὰν ᾖ...` (if there be...) is nested inside the causal clause introduced by the conjunction `ἐπειδήπερ` (since indeed). This passage is a direct quotation/application of Book 5, Proposition 1 of the Elements, and the main verb of this causal clause is `ἔσται`.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §5.prop.11-5.prop.12. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.prop.11-5.prop.12

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