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Euclid · Elements §8.prop.10

Mean Proportionals Between Numbers Equal to Those with the Unit

Passage 136 of 316 · Greek

Summary

If numbers fall in continued proportion between each of two numbers and a unit, then as many numbers as fall between each of them and the unit will also fall between the two numbers themselves in continued proportion.

§8.prop.10ἐὰν δύο ἀριθμῶν ἑκατέρου καὶ μονάδος μεταξὺ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτωσιν ἀριθμοί, ὅσοι ἑκατέρου αὐτῶν καὶ μονάδος μεταξὺ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτουσιν ἀριθμοί, τοσοῦτοι καὶ εἰς αὐτοὺς μεταξὺ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀνάλογον ἐμπεσοῦνται. δύο γὰρ ἀριθμῶν τῶν Α, Β καὶ μονάδος τῆς Γ μεταξὺ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀνάλογον ἐμπιπτέτωσαν ἀριθμοὶ οἵ τε Δ, Ε καὶ οἱ Ζ, η· λέγω, ὅτι ὅσοι ἑκατέρου τῶν Α, Β καὶ μονάδος τῆς Γ μεταξὺ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀνάλογον ἐμπεπτώκασιν ἀριθμοί, τοσοῦτοι καὶ εἰς τοὺς Α, Β μεταξὺ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀνάλογον ἐμπεσοῦνται. ὁ Δ γὰρ τὸν Ζ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Θ ποιείτω, ἑκάτερος δὲ τῶν Δ, Ζ τὸν Θ πολλαπλασιάσας ἑκάτερον τῶν Κ, Λ ποιείτω.
\nIf between each of two numbers and a unit there fall numbers in continued proportion, as many numbers as fall between each of them and a unit in continued proportion, so many will also fall between the numbers themselves in continued proportion.\nFor let there fall between two numbers Α, Β and the unit Γ in continued proportion the numbers Δ, Ε and Ζ, η; I say that, as many numbers as have fallen between each of Α, Β and the unit Γ in continued proportion, so many will also fall between Α, Β in continued proportion.\nFor let Δ by multiplying Ζ make Θ, and let each of Δ, Ζ by multiplying Θ make each of Κ, Λ.\nAnd since, as the unit Γ is to the number Δ, so is Δ to Ε, therefore the unit Γ measures the number Δ as many times as Δ measures Ε.
καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ Γ μονὰς πρὸς τὸν Δ ἀριθμόν, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε, ἰσάκις ἄρα ἡ Γ μονὰς τὸν Δ ἀριθμὸν μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Δ τὸν Ε. ἡ δὲ Γ μονὰς τὸν Δ ἀριθμὸν μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Δ μονάδας· καὶ ὁ Δ ἄρα ἀριθμὸς τὸν Ε μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Δ μονάδας· ὁ Δ ἄρα ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Ε πεποίηκεν.
But the unit Γ measures the number Δ according to the units in Δ; therefore the number Δ also measures Ε according to the units in Δ; therefore Δ by multiplying itself has made Ε.
πάλιν, ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ ἀριθμὸν, οὕτως ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Α, ἰσάκις ἄρα ἡ Γ μονὰς τὸν Δ ἀριθμὸν μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Ε τὸν Α. ἡ δὲ Γ μονὰς τὸν Δ ἀριθμὸν μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Δ μονάδας·
Again, since, as Γ is to the number Δ, so is Ε to Α, therefore the unit Γ measures the number Δ as many times as Ε measures Α.
καὶ ὁ Ε ἄρα τὸν Α μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Δ μονάδας· ὁ Δ ἄρα τὸν Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν.
But the unit Γ measures the number Δ according to the units in Δ; therefore Ε also measures Α according to the units in Δ; therefore Δ by multiplying Ε has made Α.
διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ὁ μὲν Ζ ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Η πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Η πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Β πεποίηκεν.
For the same reasons also, Ζ by multiplying itself has made Η, and by multiplying Η has made Β.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Δ ἑαυτὸν μὲν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Ε πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Ζ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Θ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Θ. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Θ πρὸς τὸν Η. καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Θ, οὕτως ὁ Θ πρὸς τὸν Η. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὁ Δ ἑκάτερον τῶν Ε, Θ πολλαπλασιάσας ἑκάτερον τῶν Α, Κ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Θ, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Κ. ἀλλʼ ὡς ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Θ, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ· καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Κ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ἑκάτερος τῶν Δ, Ζ τὸν Θ πολλαπλασιάσας ἑκάτερον τῶν Κ, Λ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Κ πρὸς τὸν Λ. ἀλλʼ ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Κ· καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Κ, οὕτως ὁ Κ πρὸς τὸν Λ. ἔτι ἐπεὶ ὁ Ζ ἑκάτερον τῶν Θ, Η πολλαπλασιάσας ἑκάτερον τῶν Λ, Β πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Θ πρὸς τὸν Η, οὕτως ὁ Λ πρὸς τὸν Β. ὡς δὲ ὁ Θ πρὸς τὸν Η, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ· καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Λ πρὸς τὸν Β. ἐδείχθη δὲ καὶ ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὅ τε Α πρὸς τὸν Κ καὶ ὁ Κ πρὸς τὸν Λ·
And since Δ by multiplying itself has made Ε, and by multiplying Ζ has made Θ, therefore, as Δ is to Ζ, so is Ε to Θ. For the same reasons also, as Δ is to Ζ, so is Θ to Η. Therefore also, as Ε is to Θ, so is Θ to Η. Again, since Δ by multiplying each of Ε, Θ has made each of Α, Κ, therefore, as Ε is to Θ, so is Α to Κ. But, as Ε is to Θ, so is Δ to Ζ; therefore also, as Δ is to Ζ, so is Α to Κ. Again, since each of Δ, Ζ by multiplying Θ has made each of Κ, Λ, therefore, as Δ is to Ζ, so is Κ to Λ. But, as Δ is to Ζ, so is Α to Κ; therefore also, as Α is to Κ, so is Κ to Λ. Further, since Ζ by multiplying each of Θ, Η has made each of Λ, Β, therefore, as Θ is to Η, so is Λ to Β. But, as Θ is to Η, so is Δ to Ζ; therefore also, as Δ is to Ζ, so is Λ to Β. And it was also proved that, as Δ is to Ζ, so is both Α to Κ and Κ to Λ; therefore also, as Α is to Κ, so is Κ to Λ and Λ to Β.
καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Κ, οὕτως ὁ Κ πρὸς τὸν Λ καὶ ὁ Λ πρὸς τὸν Β. οἱ Α, Κ, Λ, Β ἄρα κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἑξῆς εἰσιν ἀνάλογον.
Therefore Α, Κ, Λ, Β are in continued proportion successively.
ὅσοι ἄρα ἑκατέρου τῶν Α, Β καὶ τῆς Γ μονάδος μεταξὺ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτουσιν ἀριθμοί, τοσοῦτοι καὶ εἰς τοὺς Α, Β μεταξὺ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐμπεσοῦνται· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore, as many numbers as fall between each of Α, Β and the unit Γ in continued proportion, so many will also fall between Α, Β in continued proportion; which was to be proved.

Notes

  1. ¦10¦οἵ τε Δ, Ε καὶ οἱ Ζ, η — The Greek letter `η` is the lowercase form of `Η` (Eta). While other numbers are represented by uppercase letters (Α, Β, Γ, Δ, Ε, Ζ, Θ, Κ, Λ), this lowercase letter is used here. The translation preserves this textual feature.
  2. ¦10¦δύο γὰρ ἀριθμῶν τῶν Α, Β καὶ μονάδος τῆς Γ — A genitive phrase governed by the preposition (or adverb) `μεταξὺ`, meaning 'between each of the two numbers Α, Β and the unit Γ'.
  3. ¦20¦ἰσάκις ἄρα ἡ Γ μονὰς τὸν Δ ἀριθμὸν μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Δ τὸν Ε — A construction using the correlative adverb `ἰσάκις... καί...` (as many times as..., so many times also...). It means 'the unit Γ measures the number Δ as many times as Δ measures Ε', which mathematically translates a proportional relationship based on the definition of ratio.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §8.prop.10. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.prop.10

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