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Euclid · Elements §8.prop.18

Mean Proportional Between Similar Plane Numbers

Passage 140 of 316 · Greek

Summary

It is proved that between two similar plane numbers there is one mean proportional number, and that the ratio of the plane numbers is the duplicate ratio of their corresponding sides.

§8.prop.18δύο ὁμοίων ἐπιπέδων ἀριθμῶν εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογόν ἐστιν ἀριθμός· καὶ ὁ ἐπίπεδος πρὸς τὸν ἐπίπεδον διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ὁμόλογος πλευρὰ πρὸς τὴν ὁμόλογον πλευράν.
Between two similar plane numbers there is one mean proportional number; and the plane number has to the plane number a ratio duplicate of that which the corresponding side has to the corresponding side.
ἔστωσαν δύο ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοι ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Α, Β, καὶ τοῦ μὲν Α πλευραὶ ἔστωσαν οἱ Γ, Δ ἀριθμοί, τοῦ δὲ Β οἱ Ε, Ζ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀνάλογον ἔχοντες τὰς πλευράς, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ, οὕτως ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ. λέγω οὖν, ὅτι τῶν Α, Β εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογόν ἐστιν ἀριθμός, καὶ ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ε ἢ ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, τουτέστιν ἤπερ ἡ ὁμόλογος πλευρὰ πρὸς τὴν ὁμόλογον.
¦5 Let Α, Β be two similar plane numbers, and let the numbers Γ, Δ be the sides of Α, and Ε, Ζ those of Β. And since similar plane numbers are those which have their sides proportional, therefore, as Γ is to Δ, so is Ε to Ζ. I say then that between Α, Β there is one mean proportional number, and Α has to Β a ratio duplicate of that which Γ has to Ε or Δ to Ζ, that is, of that which the corresponding side has to the corresponding side.
καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ, οὕτως ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Ζ, ἐναλλὰξ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ε, ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐπίπεδός ἐστιν ὁ Α, πλευραὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ οἱ Γ, Δ, ὁ Δ ἄρα τὸν Γ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν.
And since, as Γ is to Δ, so is Ε to Ζ, therefore, alternately, as Γ is to Ε, so is Δ to Ζ. And since Α is a plane number, and Γ, Δ are its sides, therefore Δ by multiplying Γ has made Α.
διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ὁ Ε τὸν Ζ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Β πεποίηκεν.
For the same reason also Ε by multiplying Ζ has made Β.
ὁ Δ δὴ τὸν Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Η ποιείτω.
Now let Δ by multiplying Ε make Η.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Δ τὸν μὲν Γ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Η πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ε, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Η. ἀλλʼ ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ε, ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ·
And since Δ by multiplying Γ has made Α, and by multiplying Ε has made Η, therefore, as Γ is to Ε, so is Α to Η. But, as Γ is to Ε, so is Δ to Ζ; therefore also, as Δ is to Ζ, so is Α to Η.
καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Η. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὁ Ε τὸν μὲν Δ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Η πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Ζ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Β πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Η πρὸς τὸν Β. ἐδείχθη δὲ καὶ ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Η·
Again, since Ε by multiplying Δ has made Η, and by multiplying Ζ has made Β, therefore, as Δ is to Ζ, so is Η to Β. But it was also proved that, as Δ is to Ζ, so is Α to Η; therefore also, as Α is to Η, so is Η to Β.
καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Η, οὕτως ὁ Η πρὸς τὸν Β. οἱ Α, Η, Β ἄρα ἑξῆς ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν.
Therefore Α, Η, Β are in continued proportion.
τῶν Α, Β ἄρα εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογόν ἐστιν ἀριθμός.
Therefore between Α, Β there is one mean proportional number.
λέγω δή, ὅτι καὶ ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ὁμόλογος πλευρὰ πρὸς τὴν ὁμόλογον πλευράν, τουτέστιν ἤπερ ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ε ἢ ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ. ἐπεὶ γὰρ οἱ Α, Η, Β ἑξῆς ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν, ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ πρὸς τὸν Η. καί ἐστιν ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Η, οὕτως ὅ τε Γ πρὸς τὸν Ε καὶ ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ. καὶ ὁ Α ἄρα πρὸς τὸν Β διπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ε ἢ ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
I say next that Α also has to Β a ratio duplicate of that which the corresponding side has to the corresponding side, that is, of that which Γ has to Ε or Δ to Ζ. For since Α, Η, Β are in continued proportion, Α has to Β a ratio duplicate of that which it has to Η. And as Α is to Η, so is Γ to Ε and Δ to Ζ. Therefore Α also has to Β a ratio duplicate of that which Γ has to Ε or Δ to Ζ; which was to be proved.

Notes

  1. 8.prop.18διπλασίονα λόγον — Literally "double ratio." In Euclidean geometry and arithmetic, the "duplicate ratio" of a ratio A : B is the ratio of the extremes in a continuous proportion A : B = B : C, i.e., the ratio A : C. This corresponds to the modern algebraic representation of (A/B)^2.
  2. 8.prop.18ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί — Referring to the definition of similar plane numbers (Book VII, Definition 21). Two plane numbers (numbers representing the product of two numbers) are similar when their sides (factors) are proportional.
  3. 8.prop.18ἐναλλάξ — "Alternately." The operation of inferring A : C = B : D from A : B = C : D. This alternation of ratios in arithmetic is based on Book VII, Proposition 13.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §8.prop.18. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.prop.18

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