§8.prop.2ἀριθμοὺς εὑρεῖν ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον ἐλαχίστους, ὅσους ἂν ἐπιτάξῃ τις, ἐν τῷ δοθέντι λόγῳ.
To find numbers in continued proportion, as many as may be prescribed, the least of those which have a given ratio.
ἔστω ὁ δοθεὶς λόγος ἐν ἐλαχίστοις ἀριθμοῖς ὁ τοῦ Α πρὸς τὸν Β· δεῖ δὴ ἀριθμοὺς εὑρεῖν ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον ἐλαχίστους, ὅσους ἄν τις ἐπιτάξῃ, ἐν τῷ τοῦ Α πρὸς τὸν Β λόγῳ.
Let the given ratio in least numbers be that of A to B; therefore it is required to find numbers in continued proportion, the least of those which have the ratio of A to B, as many as may be prescribed.
Ἐπιτετάχθωσαν δὴ τέσσαρες, καὶ ὁ Α ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ ποιείτω, τὸν δὲ Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ ποιείτω, καὶ ἔτι ὁ Β ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Ε ποιείτω, καὶ ἔτι ὁ Α τοὺς Γ, Δ, Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τοὺς Ζ, Η, Θ ποιείτω, ὁ δὲ Β τὸν Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Κ ποιείτω.
Let four be prescribed, and let A by multiplying itself make Γ, and by multiplying B make Δ, and further let B by multiplying itself make E, and further let A by multiplying Γ, Δ, E make Z, H, Θ, and let B by multiplying E make K.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Α ἑαυτὸν μὲν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὁ μὲν Α τὸν Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ πεποίηκεν, ὁ δὲ Β ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Ε πεποίηκεν, ἑκάτερος ἄρα τῶν Α, Β τὸν Β πολλαπλασιάσας ἑκάτερον τῶν Δ, Ε πεποίηκεν.
And since A by multiplying itself has made Γ, and by multiplying B has made Δ, therefore, as A is to B, so is Γ to Δ. Again, since A by multiplying B has made Δ, and B by multiplying itself has made E, therefore each of the numbers A, B by multiplying B has made each of the numbers Δ, E.
ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε. ἀλλʼ ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ· καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ, ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Α τοὺς Γ, Δ πολλαπλασιάσας τοὺς Ζ, Η πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ, ὁ Ζ πρὸς τὸν Η. ὡς δὲ ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ, οὕτως ἦν ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β· καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, ὁ Ζ πρὸς τὸν Η. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὁ Α τοὺς Δ, Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τοὺς Η, Θ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε, ὁ Η πρὸς τὸν Θ. ἀλλʼ ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε, ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β. καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Η πρὸς τὸν Θ. καὶ ἐπεὶ οἱ Α, Β τὸν Ε πολλαπλασιάσαντες τοὺς Θ, Κ πεποιήκασιν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Θ πρὸς τὸν Κ. ἀλλʼ ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὅ τε Ζ πρὸς τὸν Η καὶ ὁ Η πρὸς τὸν Θ. καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Ζ πρὸς τὸν Η, οὕτως ὅ τε Η πρὸς τὸν Θ καὶ ὁ Θ πρὸς τὸν Κ·
Therefore, as A is to B, so is Δ to E. But, as A is to B, so is Γ to Δ; therefore, as Γ is to Δ, so is Δ to E. And since A by multiplying Γ, Δ has made Z, H, therefore, as Γ is to Δ, so is Z to H. But, as Γ is to Δ, so was A to B; therefore, as A is to B, so is Z to H. Again, since A by multiplying Δ, E has made H, Θ, therefore, as Δ is to E, so is H to Θ. But, as Δ is to E, so was A to B. Therefore, as A is to B, so is H to Θ. And since A, B by multiplying E have made Θ, K, therefore, as A is to B, so is Θ to K. But, as A is to B, so was Z to H and H to Θ. Therefore, as Z is to H, so is H to Θ and Θ to K.
οἱ Γ, Δ, Ε ἄρα καὶ οἱ Ζ, Η, Θ, Κ ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν ἐν τῷ τοῦ Α πρὸς τὸν Β λόγῳ.
Therefore Γ, Δ, E and Z, H, Θ, K are in proportion in the ratio of A to B.
λέγω δή, ὅτι καὶ ἐλάχιστοι.
I say then that they are also the least.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ οἱ Α, Β ἐλάχιστοί εἰσι τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων αὐτοῖς, οἱ δὲ ἐλάχιστοι τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰσίν, οἱ Α, Β ἄρα πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰσίν.
For since A, B are the least of those which have the same ratio with them, and those which are the least of those which have the same ratio are prime to one another, therefore A, B are prime to one another.
καὶ ἑκάτερος μὲν τῶν Α, Β ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας ἑκάτερον τῶν Γ, Ε πεποίηκεν, ἑκάτερον δὲ τῶν Γ, Ε πολλαπλασιάσας ἑκάτερον τῶν Ζ, Κ πεποίηκεν· οἱ Γ, Ε ἄρα καὶ οἱ Ζ, Κ πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰσίν.
And each of the numbers A, B by multiplying itself has made each of the numbers Γ, E, and by multiplying each of the numbers Γ, E has made each of the numbers Z, K; therefore Γ, E and Z, K are prime to one another.
ἐὰν δὲ ὦσιν ὁποσοιοῦν ἀριθμοὶ ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον, οἱ δὲ ἄκροι αὐτῶν πρῶτοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὦσιν, ἐλάχιστοί εἰσι τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων αὐτοῖς.
But if there be as many numbers as we please in continued proportion, and their extremes be prime to one another, they are the least of those which have the same ratio with them.
οἱ Γ, Δ, Ε ἄρα καὶ οἱ Ζ, Η, Θ, Κ ἐλάχιστοί εἰσι τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων τοῖς Α, Β· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
Therefore Γ, Δ, E and Z, H, Θ, K are the least of those which have the same ratio with A, B; which was to be proved.
Πόρισμα
ἐκ δὴ τούτου φανερόν, ὅτι ἐὰν τρεῖς ἀριθμοὶ ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον ἐλάχιστοι ὦσι τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων αὐτοῖς, οἱ ἄκροι αὐτῶν τετράγωνοί εἰσιν, ἐὰν δὲ τέσσαρες, κύβοι.
Corollary From this it is manifest that, if three numbers in continued proportion be the least of those which have the same ratio with them, their extremes are squares, and if four, cubes.