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Euclid · Elements §5.prop.3

Equimultiples of Equimultiples Are Equimultiples

Passage 70 of 316 · Greek

Summary

Proves that if a first magnitude is the same multiple of a second that a third is of a fourth, and equimultiples are taken of the first and third, then the taken magnitudes will also be equimultiples of the second and fourth respectively.

§5.prop.3ἐὰν πρῶτον δευτέρου ἰσάκις ᾖ πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον τετάρτου, ληφθῇ δὲ ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τοῦ τε πρώτου καὶ τρίτου, καὶ διʼ ἴσου τῶν ληφθέντων ἑκάτερον ἑκατέρου ἰσάκις ἔσται πολλαπλάσιον τὸ μὲν τοῦ δευτέρου τὸ δὲ τοῦ τετάρτου.
If a first magnitude be the same multiple of a second that a third is of a fourth, and equimultiples be taken of the first and third, then likewise of the magnitudes taken, each will be the same multiple, respectively, the one of the second and the other of the fourth.
πρῶτον γὰρ τὸ Α δευτέρου τοῦ Β ἰσάκις ἔστω πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον τὸ Γ τετάρτου τοῦ Δ, καὶ εἰλήφθω τῶν Α, Γ ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ ΕΖ, ΗΘ·
For let a first, A, be the same multiple of a second, B, that a third, Γ, is of a fourth, Δ, and let equimultiples EZ, ΗΘ be taken of A, Γ.
λέγω, ὅτι ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΕΖ τοῦ Β καὶ τὸ ΗΘ τοῦ Δ. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΕΖ τοῦ Α καὶ τὸ ΗΘ τοῦ Γ, ὅσα ἄρα ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ΕΖ ἴσα τῷ Α, τοσαῦτα καὶ ἐν τῷ ΗΘ ἴσα τῷ Γ. διῃρήσθω τὸ μὲν ΕΖ εἰς τὰ τῷ Α μεγέθη ἴσα τὰ ΕΚ, ΚΖ, τὸ δὲ ΗΘ εἰς τὰ τῷ Γ ἴσα τὰ ΗΛ, ΛΘ·
I say that EZ is the same multiple of B that ΗΘ is of Δ. For since EZ is the same multiple of A that ΗΘ is of Γ, therefore, as many magnitudes as there are in EZ equal to A, so many also are there in ΗΘ equal to Γ. Let EZ be divided into the magnitudes EK, KZ equal to A, and ΗΘ into ΗΛ, ΛΘ equal to Γ.
ἔσται δὴ ἴσον τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ΕΚ, ΚΖ τῷ πλήθει τῶν ΗΛ, ΛΘ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ Α τοῦ Β καὶ τὸ Γ τοῦ Δ, ἴσον δὲ τὸ μὲν ΕΚ τῷ Α, τὸ δὲ ΗΛ τῷ Γ, ἰσάκις ἄρα ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΕΚ τοῦ Β καὶ τὸ ΗΛ τοῦ Δ. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΚΖ τοῦ Β καὶ τὸ ΛΘ τοῦ Δ. ἐπεὶ οὖν πρῶτον τὸ ΕΚ δευτέρου τοῦ Β ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον τὸ ΗΛ τετάρτου τοῦ Δ, ἔστι δὲ καὶ πέμπτον τὸ ΚΖ δευτέρου τοῦ Β ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσιον καὶ ἕκτον τὸ ΛΘ τετάρτου τοῦ Δ, καὶ συντεθὲν ἄρα πρῶτον καὶ πέμπτον τὸ ΕΖ δευτέρου τοῦ Β ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον καὶ ἕκτον τὸ ΗΘ τετάρτου τοῦ Δ. ἐὰν ἄρα πρῶτον δευτέρου ἰσάκις ᾖ πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον τετάρτου, ληφθῇ δὲ τοῦ πρώτου καὶ τρίτου ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια, καὶ διʼ ἴσου τῶν ληφθέντων ἑκάτερον ἑκατέρου ἰσάκις ἔσται πολλαπλάσιον τὸ μὲν τοῦ δευτέρου τὸ δὲ τοῦ τετάρτου·
The multitude of EK, KZ will then be equal to the multitude of ΗΛ, ΛΘ. And since A is the same multiple of B that Γ is of Δ, and EK is equal to A, and ΗΛ to Γ, therefore EK is the same multiple of B that ΗΛ is of Δ. For the same reason, KZ is the same multiple of B that ΛΘ is of Δ. Since then a first, EK, is the same multiple of a second, B, that a third, ΗΛ, is of a fourth, Δ, and a fifth, KZ, is also the same multiple of the second, B, that a sixth, ΛΘ, is of the fourth, Δ, therefore the first and fifth combined, EZ, is also the same multiple of the second, B, that the third and sixth, ΗΘ, is of the fourth, Δ. Therefore, if a first magnitude be the same multiple of a second that a third is of a fourth, and equimultiples be taken of the first and third, then likewise of the magnitudes taken, each will be the same multiple, respectively, the one of the second and the other of the fourth.
ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Which was to be proved.

Notes

  1. §5.prop.3διʼ ἴσου — A technical term meaning 'by equality' or 'ex aequali' (equally). It indicates that, by transitivity through the intermediate magnitudes, the newly taken multiples will stand in the same relative multiple-relation as the original ones.
  2. §5.prop.3ἑκάτερον ἑκατέρου — Expresses a reciprocal one-to-one correspondence between two pairs. The nominative neuter singular ἑκάτερον refers to each of the newly taken magnitudes (EZ, ΗΘ), while the genitive ἑκατέρου refers to each of the original reference magnitudes (B, Δ).
  3. ¦25¦ἐπεὶ οὖν πρῶτον — Marks the beginning of a long conditional clause applying the result of the previous proposition (Book V, Proposition 2). This extensive setup establishes the premises for the main conclusion introduced by 'καὶ συντεθὲν ἄρα...' in line 28.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §5.prop.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:5.prop.3

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