Humanitext Reader

Euclid · Elements §6.prop.28

Applying a Parallelogram Deficient by a Similar Figure

Passage 106 of 316 · Greek

Summary

Demonstrates how to apply a parallelogram to a given straight line that is equal to a given rectilineal figure and falls short by a parallelogrammic figure similar to another given figure.

§6.prop.28παρὰ τὴν δοθεῖσαν εὐθεῖαν τῷ δοθέντι εὐθυγράμμῳ ἴσον παραλληλόγραμμον παραβαλεῖν ἐλλεῖπον εἴδει παραλληλογράμμῳ ὁμοίῳ τῷ δοθέντι· δεῖ δὲ τὸ διδόμενον εὐθύγραμμον μὴ μεῖζον εἶναι τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμισείας ἀναγραφομένου ὁμοίου τῷ ἐλλείμματι.
To apply to a given straight line a parallelogram equal to a given rectilineal figure and falling short by a parallelogrammic figure similar to a given one; but the given rectilineal figure must not be greater than that described on the half similar to the defect.
ἔστω ἡ μὲν δοθεῖσα εὐθεῖα ἡ ΑΒ, τὸ δὲ δοθὲν εὐθύγραμμον, ᾧ δεῖ ἴσον παρὰ τὴν ΑΒ παραβαλεῖν, τὸ Γ μὴ μεῖζον τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμισείας τῆς ΑΒ ἀναγραφομένου ὁμοίου τῷ ἐλλείμματι, ᾧ δὲ δεῖ ὅμοιον ἐλλείπειν, τὸ Δ· δεῖ δὴ παρὰ τὴν δοθεῖσαν εὐθεῖαν τὴν ΑΒ τῷ δοθέντι εὐθυγράμμῳ τῷ Γ ἴσον παραλληλόγραμμον παραβαλεῖν ἐλλεῖπον εἴδει παραλληλογράμμῳ ὁμοίῳ ὄντι τῷ Δ. τετμήσθω ἡ ΑΒ δίχα κατὰ τὸ Ε σημεῖον, καὶ ἀναγεγράφθω ἀπὸ τῆς ΕΒ τῷ Δ ὅμοιον καὶ ὁμοίως κείμενον τὸ ΕΒΖΗ, καὶ συμπεπληρώσθω τὸ ΑΗ παραλληλόγραμμον.
Let the given straight line be ΑΒ, and the given rectilineal figure, to which the parallelogram to be applied to ΑΒ must be equal, Γ, not greater than that described on the half of ΑΒ similar to the defect, and that to which the defect must be similar, Δ; it is required then to apply to the given straight line ΑΒ a parallelogram equal to the given rectilineal figure Γ, falling short by a parallelogrammic figure similar to Δ. Let ΑΒ be bisected at the point Ε, and let ΕΒΖΗ be described on ΕΒ similar and similarly situated to Δ, and let the parallelogram ΑΗ be completed.
εἰ μὲν οὖν ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΗ τῷ Γ, γεγονὸς ἂν εἴη τὸ ἐπιταχθέν· παραβέβληται γὰρ παρὰ τὴν δοθεῖσαν εὐθεῖαν τὴν ΑΒ τῷ δοθέντι εὐθυγράμμῳ τῷ Γ ἴσον παραλληλόγραμμον τὸ ΑΗ ἐλλεῖπον εἴδει παραλληλογράμμῳ τῷ ΗΒ ὁμοίῳ ὄντι τῷ Δ. εἰ δὲ οὔ, μεῖζον ἔστω τὸ ΘΕ τοῦ Γ. ἴσον δὲ τὸ ΘΕ τῷ ΗΒ· μεῖζον ἄρα καὶ τὸ ΗΒ τοῦ Γ. ᾧ δὴ μεῖζόν ἐστι τὸ ΗΒ τοῦ Γ, ταύτῃ τῇ ὑπεροχῇ ἴσον, τῷ δὲ Δ ὅμοιον καὶ ὁμοίως κείμενον τὸ αὐτὸ συνεστάτω τὸ ΚΛΜΝ. ἀλλὰ τὸ Δ τῷ ΗΒ ὅμοιον· καὶ τὸ ΚΜ ἄρα τῷ ΗΒ ἐστιν ὅμοιον.
If then ΑΗ is equal to Γ, that which was prescribed would be done; for there has been applied to the given straight line ΑΒ a parallelogram ΑΗ equal to the given rectilineal figure Γ, falling short by a parallelogrammic figure ΗΒ similar to Δ. If not, let ΘΕ be greater than Γ. And ΘΕ is equal to ΗΒ; therefore ΗΒ is also greater than Γ. Let then the parallelogram ΚΛΜΝ be constructed equal to the excess by which ΗΒ is greater than Γ, and similar and similarly situated to Δ. But Δ is similar to ΗΒ; therefore ΚΜ is also similar to ΗΒ.
ἔστω οὖν ὁμόλογος ἡ μὲν ΚΛ τῇ ΗΕ, ἡ δὲ ΛΜ τῇ ΗΖ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ ΗΒ τοῖς Γ, ΚΜ, μεῖζον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΗΒ τοῦ ΚΜ· μείζων ἄρα ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ μὲν ΗΕ τῆς ΚΛ, ἡ δὲ ΗΖ τῆς ΛΜ. κείσθω τῇ μὲν ΚΛ ἴση ἡ ΗΞ, τῇ δὲ ΛΜ ἴση ἡ ΗΟ, καὶ συμπεπληρώσθω τὸ ΞΗΟΠ παραλληλόγραμμον· ἴσον ἄρα καὶ ὅμοιόν ἐστι τῷ ΚΜ.
Let then ΚΛ correspond to ΗΕ, and ΛΜ to ΗΖ. And since ΗΒ is equal to Γ and ΚΜ together, therefore ΗΒ is greater than ΚΜ; therefore also ΗΕ is greater than ΚΛ, and ΗΖ than ΛΜ. Let ΗΞ be placed equal to ΚΛ, and ΗΟ equal to ΛΜ, and let the parallelogram ΞΗΟΠ be completed; therefore it is equal and similar to ΚΜ.
καὶ τὸ ΗΠ ἄρα τῷ ΗΒ ὅμοιόν ἐστιν· περὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἄρα διάμετρόν ἐστι τὸ ΗΠ τῷ ΗΒ. ἔστω αὐτῶν διάμετρος ἡ ΗΠΒ, καὶ καταγεγράφθω τὸ σχῆμα.
Therefore ΗΠ is also similar to ΗΒ; therefore ΗΠ is about the same diameter with ΗΒ. Let ΗΠΒ be their diameter, and let the figure be described.
ἐπεὶ οὖν ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ ΒΗ τοῖς Γ, ΚΜ, ὧν τὸ ΗΠ τῷ ΚΜ ἐστιν ἴσον, λοιπὸς ἄρα ὁ ΥΧΦ γνώμων λοιπῷ τῷ Γ ἴσος ἐστίν.
Since then ΒΗ is equal to Γ and ΚΜ together, of which ΗΠ is equal to ΚΜ, therefore the remainder, the gnomon ΥΧΦ, is equal to the remainder Γ.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ ΟΡ τῷ ΞΣ, κοινὸν προσκείσθω τὸ ΠΒ· ὅλον ἄρα τὸ ΟΒ ὅλῳ τῷ ΞΒ ἴσον ἐστίν.
And since ΟΡ is equal to ΞΣ, let ΠΒ be added as common; therefore the whole ΟΒ is equal to the whole ΞΒ.
ἀλλὰ τὸ ΞΒ τῷ ΤΕ ἐστιν ἴσον, ἐπεὶ καὶ πλευρὰ ἡ ΑΕ πλευρᾷ τῇ ΕΒ ἐστιν ἴση· καὶ τὸ ΤΕ ἄρα τῷ ΟΒ ἐστιν ἴσον.
But ΞΒ is equal to ΤΕ, since the side ΑΕ is also equal to the side ΕΒ; therefore ΤΕ is also equal to ΟΒ.
κοινὸν προσκείσθω τὸ ΞΣ· ὅλον ἄρα τὸ ΤΣ ὅλῳ τῷ ΦΧΥ γνώμονί ἐστιν ἴσον.
Let ΞΣ be added as common; therefore the whole ΤΣ is equal to the whole gnomon ΦΧΥ.
ἀλλʼ ὁ ΦΧΥ γνώμων τῷ Γ ἐδείχθη ἴσος· καὶ τὸ ΤΣ ἄρα τῷ Γ ἐστιν ἴσον.
But the gnomon ΦΧΥ was proved equal to Γ; therefore ΤΣ is also equal to Γ.
παρὰ τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἄρα εὐθεῖαν τὴν ΑΒ τῷ δοθέντι εὐθυγράμμῳ τῷ Γ ἴσον παραλληλόγραμμον παραβέβληται τὸ ΣΤ ἐλλεῖπον εἴδει παραλληλογράμμῳ τῷ ΠΒ ὁμοίῳ ὄντι τῷ Δ· ὅπερ ἔδει ποιῆσαι.
Therefore to the given straight line ΑΒ there has been applied a parallelogram ΣΤ equal to the given rectilineal figure Γ, falling short by a parallelogrammic figure ΠΒ similar to Δ; which was to be done.

Notes

  1. 6.prop.28ᾧ δὲ δεῖ ὅμοιον ἐλλείπειν, τὸ Δ — The relative pronoun `ᾧ` is a neuter dative serving as the complement of the adjective `ὅμοιον` ("similar to which"). Its antecedent is `τὸ Δ` at the end of the clause. The impersonal verb `δεῖ` governs the infinitive `ἐλλείπειν`, whose semantic subject ("the parallelogram") is omitted.
  2. 6.prop.28μεῖζον ἔστω τὸ ΘΕ τοῦ Γ — Some manuscripts read `ΗΕ` (the name of the side) or `ΕΒΖΗ` (the whole parallelogram) instead of `ΘΕ`. As is clear from the subsequent clause `ἴσον δὲ τὸ ΘΕ τῷ ΗΒ` (and ΘΕ is equal to ΗΒ), `ΘΕ` refers to the area of the constructed half-parallelogram itself.
  3. 6.prop.28ᾧ δὴ μεῖζόν ἐστι τὸ ΗΒ τοῦ Γ — The relative pronoun `ᾧ` is a dative of measure of difference within the relative clause ("by which HB is greater than Γ"), correlating with `ταύτῃ τῇ ὑπεροχῇ` ("by this excess") in the main clause.
  4. 6.prop.28ὧν — The plural genitive `ὧν` is a partitive genitive ("of which") referring back to the antecedent `τοῖς Γ, ΚΜ` (Γ and ΚΜ).

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §6.prop.28. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:6.prop.28

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