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Euclid · Elements §8.prop.19#1

Two Mean Proportionals Between Similar Solid Numbers

Passage 141 of 316 · Greek

Summary

To prove that there are two mean proportionals between similar solid numbers and that their ratio is the triplicate ratio of their corresponding sides, the text sets up the preliminary relations of products and ratios.

§8.prop.19#1δύο ὁμοίων στερεῶν ἀριθμῶν δύο μέσοι ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτουσιν ἀριθμοί· καὶ ὁ στερεὸς πρὸς τὸν ὅμοιον στερεὸν τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ἡ ὁμόλογος πλευρὰ πρὸς τὴν ὁμόλογον πλευράν.
Between two similar solid numbers there fall two mean proportional numbers; and the solid number has to the similar solid number a ratio triplicate of that which the corresponding side has to the corresponding side.
ἔστωσαν δύο ὅμοιοι στερεοὶ οἱ Α, Β, καὶ τοῦ μὲν Α πλευραὶ ἔστωσαν οἱ Γ, Δ, Ε, τοῦ δὲ Β οἱ Ζ, Η, Θ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὅμοιοι στερεοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀνάλογον ἔχοντες τὰς πλευράς, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς μὲν ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ, οὕτως ὁ Ζ πρὸς τὸν Η, ὡς δὲ ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε, οὕτως ὁ Η πρὸς τὸν Θ. λέγω, ὅτι τῶν Α, Β δύο μέσοι ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτουσιν ἀριθμοί, καὶ ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β τριπλασίονα λόγον ἔχει ἤπερ ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ζ καὶ ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Η καὶ ἔτι ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Θ. ὁ Γ γὰρ τὸν Δ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Κ ποιείτω, ὁ δὲ Ζ τὸν Η πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Λ ποιείτω.
¦5 Let Α, Β be two similar solid numbers, and let Γ, Δ, Ε be the sides of Α, and Ζ, Η, Θ those of Β. And since similar solid numbers are those which have their sides proportional, therefore, as Γ is to Δ, so is Ζ to Η, and as Δ is to Ε, so is Η to Θ. I say that between Α, Β there fall two mean proportional numbers, and Α has to Β a ratio triplicate of that which Γ has to Ζ, and Δ to Η, and further Ε to Θ. For let Γ by multiplying Δ make Κ, and let Ζ by multiplying Η make Λ.
καὶ ἐπεὶ οἱ Γ, Δ τοῖς Ζ, Η ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ εἰσίν, καὶ ἐκ μὲν τῶν Γ, Δ ἐστιν ὁ Κ, ἐκ δὲ τῶν Ζ, Η ὁ Λ, οἱ Κ, Λ ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν ἀριθμοί· τῶν Κ, Λ ἄρα εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογόν ἐστιν ἀριθμός.
And since Γ, Δ are in the same ratio with Ζ, Η, and Κ is the product of Γ, Δ, and Λ the product of Ζ, Η, therefore Κ, Λ are similar plane numbers; therefore between Κ, Λ there is one mean proportional number.
ἔστω ὁ Μ. ὁ Μ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ ἐκ τῶν Δ, Ζ, ὡς ἐν τῷ πρὸ τούτου θεωρήματι ἐδείχθη.
Let it be Μ. Therefore Μ is the product of Δ, Ζ, as was proved in the theorem preceding this.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Δ τὸν μὲν Γ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Κ πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Ζ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Μ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Κ πρὸς τὸν Μ. ἀλλʼ ὡς ὁ Κ πρὸς τὸν Μ, ὁ Μ πρὸς τὸν Λ. οἱ Κ, Μ, Λ ἄρα ἑξῆς εἰσιν ἀνάλογον ἐν τῷ τοῦ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ζ λόγῳ.
And since Δ by multiplying Γ has made Κ, and by multiplying Ζ has made Μ, therefore, as Γ is to Ζ, so is Κ to Μ. But, as Κ is to Μ, so is Μ to Λ; therefore Κ, Μ, Λ are in continued proportion in the ratio of Γ to Ζ.
καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ, οὕτως ὁ Ζ πρὸς τὸν Η, ἐναλλὰξ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Η. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Η, οὕτως ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Θ. οἱ Κ, Μ, Λ ἄρα ἑξῆς εἰσιν ἀνάλογον ἔν τε τῷ τοῦ Γ πρὸς τὸν Ζ λόγῳ καὶ τῷ τοῦ Δ πρὸς τὸν Η καὶ ἔτι τῷ τοῦ Ε πρὸς τὸν Θ. ἑκάτερος δὴ τῶν Ε, Θ τὸν Μ πολλαπλασιάσας ἑκάτερον τῶν Ν, Ξ ποιείτω.
And since, as Γ is to Δ, so is Ζ to Η, therefore, alternately, as Γ is to Ζ, so is Δ to Η. For the same reason also, as Δ is to Η, so is Ε to Θ. Therefore Κ, Μ, Λ are in continued proportion both in the ratio of Γ to Ζ, and in that of Δ to Η, and further in that of Ε to Θ. Now let each of the numbers Ε, Θ by multiplying Μ make each of the numbers Ν, Ξ.
καὶ ἐπεὶ στερεός ἐστιν ὁ Α, πλευραὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰσιν οἱ Γ, Δ, Ε, ὁ Ε ἄρα τὸν ἐκ τῶν Γ, Δ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν.
And since Α is a solid number, and Γ, Δ, Ε are its sides, therefore Ε by multiplying the product of Γ, Δ has made Α.
ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῶν Γ, Δ ἐστιν ὁ Κ· ὁ Ε ἄρα τὸν Κ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν.
But the product of Γ, Δ is Κ; therefore Ε by multiplying Κ has made Α.
διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ὁ Θ τὸν Λ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Β πεποίηκεν.
For the same reason also Θ by multiplying Λ has made Β.

Notes

  1. 19#1ὁ ἐκ τῶν Δ, Ζ — The article `ὁ` substantively implies `ἀριθμός` (number) or `γινόμενος` (product). The preposition `ἐκ` indicates the generation of a product by multiplication, meaning 'the product of Δ and Ζ', referring back to the construction in the previous proposition (8.18).
  2. 19#1ἑκάτερος δὴ τῶν Ε, Θ τὸν Μ πολλαπλασιάσας ἑκάτερον τῶν Ν, Ξ ποιείτω — The subject `ἑκάτερος τῶν Ε, Θ` (each of Ε, Θ) and the object `ἑκάτερον τῶν Ν, Ξ` (each of Ν, Ξ) are doubly correlated. This is a condensed expression combining two parallel multiplications into a single sentence: Ε multiplying Μ to make Ν, and Θ multiplying Μ to make Ξ.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §8.prop.19#1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:8.prop.19%231

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