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Euclid · Elements §6.prop.19

Ratio of Similar Triangles as Duplicate Ratio of Sides

Passage 97 of 316 · Greek

Summary

This proposition proves that similar triangles are to one another in the duplicate ratio of their corresponding sides, and derives a porism regarding the ratio of similar figures described on proportional straight lines.

§6.prop.19τὰ ὅμοια τρίγωνα πρὸς ἄλληλα ἐν διπλασίονι λόγῳ ἐστὶ τῶν ὁμολόγων πλευρῶν.
Similar triangles are to one another in the duplicate ratio of their corresponding sides.
ἔστω ὅμοια τρίγωνα τὰ ΑΒΓ, ΔΕΖ ἴσην ἔχοντα τὴν πρὸς τῷ Β γωνίαν τῇ πρὸς τῷ Ε, ὡς δὲ τὴν ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ, οὕτως τὴν ΔΕ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ, ὥστε ὁμόλογον εἶναι τὴν ΒΓ τῇ ΕΖ· λέγω, ὅτι τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΔΕΖ τρίγωνον διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ. εἰλήφθω γὰρ τῶν ΒΓ, ΕΖ τρίτη ἀνάλογον ἡ ΒΗ, ὥστε εἶναι ὡς τὴν ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ, οὕτως τὴν ΕΖ πρὸς τὴν ΒΗ· καὶ ἐπεζεύχθω ἡ ΑΗ. ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐστιν ὡς ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ, οὕτως ἡ ΔΕ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ, ἐναλλὰξ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΔΕ, οὕτως ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ. ἀλλʼ ὡς ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς ΕΖ, οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ ΕΖ πρὸς ΒΗ. καὶ ὡς ἄρα ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς ΔΕ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΖ πρὸς ΒΗ· τῶν ΑΒΗ, ΔΕΖ ἄρα τριγώνων ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας.
Let ABΓ, ΔEZ be similar triangles having the angle at B equal to the angle at E, and as AB is to BΓ, so ΔE to EZ, so that BΓ corresponds to EZ; I say that the triangle ABΓ has to the triangle ΔEZ a duplicate ratio of that which BΓ has to EZ. For let BH be taken a third proportional to BΓ, EZ, so that as BΓ is to EZ, so is EZ to BH; and let AH be joined. Since then as AB is to BΓ, so is ΔE to EZ, therefore, alternately, as AB is to ΔE, so is BΓ to EZ. But as BΓ is to EZ, so is EZ to BH. Therefore also, as AB is to ΔE, so is EZ to BH; therefore, of the triangles ABH, ΔEZ, the sides about the equal angles are reciprocally proportional.
ὧν δὲ μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην ἐχόντων γωνίαν τριγώνων ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ αἱ περὶ τὰς ἴσας γωνίας, ἴσα ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνα.
But those triangles which have one angle equal to one angle, and have the sides about the equal angles reciprocally proportional, are equal.
ἴσον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΗ τρίγωνον τῷ ΔΕΖ τριγώνῳ.
Therefore the triangle ABH is equal to the triangle ΔEZ.
καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ, οὕτως ἡ ΕΖ πρὸς τὴν ΒΗ, ἐὰν δὲ τρεῖς εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον ὦσιν, ἡ πρώτη πρὸς τὴν τρίτην διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ πρὸς τὴν δευτέραν, ἡ ΒΓ ἄρα πρὸς τὴν ΒΗ διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ΓΒ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ. ὡς δὲ ἡ ΓΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΗ, οὕτως τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΑΒΗ τρίγωνον· καὶ τὸ ΑΒΓ ἄρα τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΑΒΗ διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ. ἴσον δὲ τὸ ΑΒΗ τρίγωνον τῷ ΔΕΖ τριγώνῳ· καὶ τὸ ΑΒΓ ἄρα τρίγωνον πρὸς τὸ ΔΕΖ τρίγωνον διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ΒΓ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ. τὰ ἄρα ὅμοια τρίγωνα πρὸς ἄλληλα ἐν διπλασίονι λόγῳ ἐστὶ τῶν ὁμολόγων πλευρῶν· .
And since as BΓ is to EZ, so is EZ to BH, and if three straight lines be proportional, the first has to the third a duplicate ratio of that which it has to the second, therefore BΓ has to BH a duplicate ratio of that which ΓB has to EZ. And as ΓB is to BH, so is the triangle ABΓ to the triangle ABH; therefore also the triangle ABΓ has to ABH a duplicate ratio of that which BΓ has to EZ. But the triangle ABH is equal to the triangle ΔEZ; therefore also the triangle ABΓ has to the triangle ΔEZ a duplicate ratio of that which BΓ has to EZ. Therefore similar triangles are to one another in the duplicate ratio of their corresponding sides.
Πόρισμα ἐκ δὴ τούτου φανερόν, ὅτι, ἐὰν τρεῖς εὐθεῖαι ἀνάλογον ὦσιν, ἔστιν ὡς ἡ πρώτη πρὸς τὴν τρίτην, οὕτως τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης εἶδος πρὸς τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς δευτέρας τὸ ὅμοιον καὶ ὁμοίως ἀναγραφόμενον· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Porism From this indeed it is manifest that, if three straight lines be proportional, as the first is to the third, so is the figure described on the first to that which is similar and similarly described on the second; which was to be demonstrated.

Notes

  1. 6.prop.19ἐν διπλασίονι λόγῳ ἐστὶ τῶν ὁμολόγων πλευρῶν — The phrase διπλασίων λόγος (duplicate ratio) in Greek mathematics refers to the ratio of the squares. The genitive τῶν ὁμολόγων πλευρῶν is a genitive of comparison or relation, indicating that the ratio of the triangles is the duplicate (i.e., ratio of the squares) of the ratio of their corresponding sides.
  2. 6.prop.19ὥστε ὁμόλογον εἶναι τὴν ΒΓ τῇ ΕΖ — The ὥστε + infinitive construction here expresses a result or condition defining the setup. τὴν ΒΓ is the subject accusative of the infinitive εἶναι, and the dative τῇ ΕΖ depends on the adjective ὁμόλογον (corresponding to).
  3. 6.prop.19ὧν δὲ μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην ἐχόντων γωνίαν τριγώνων ἀντιπεπόνθασιν αἱ πλευραὶ — The relative pronoun ὧν agrees with τριγώνων, which is modified by the participle ἐχόντων in a qualifying genitive structure. The phrase μίαν μιᾷ ἴσην...γωνίαν means 'having one angle equal to one (another) angle' (i.e., each having an angle equal to the other's).
  4. 6.prop.19τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης εἶδος — The noun εἶδος (figure, form) in geometry refers to a rectilinear figure described on a line. The prepositional phrase ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης (from/on the first) is positioned between the article τὸ and the noun εἶδος, meaning 'the figure described on the first straight line'.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §6.prop.19. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.prop.19

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