§8.prop.20ἐὰν δύο ἀριθμῶν εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτῃ ἀριθμός, ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοι ἔσονται οἱ ἀριθμοί.
If one number falls between two numbers in continued proportion, the numbers will be similar plane numbers.
δύο γὰρ ἀριθμῶν τῶν Α, Β εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογον ἐμπιπτέτω ἀριθμὸς ὁ Γ· λέγω, ὅτι οἱ Α, Β ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν ἀριθμοί.
For let one number Γ fall between two numbers A, B in continued proportion; I say that A, B are similar plane numbers.
εἰλήφθωσαν ἐλάχιστοι ἀριθμοὶ τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων τοῖς Α, Γ οἱ Δ, Ε· ἰσάκις ἄρα ὁ Δ τὸν Α μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Ε τὸν Γ. ὁσάκις δὴ ὁ Δ τὸν Α μετρεῖ, τοσαῦται μονάδες ἔστωσαν ἐν τῷ Ζ· ὁ Ζ ἄρα τὸν Δ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν.
Let the least numbers Δ, E of those having the same ratio as A, Γ be taken; therefore Δ measures A the same number of times as E measures Γ. Now, let there be as many units in Z as the times Δ measures A; therefore Z by multiplying Δ has made A.
ὥστε ὁ Α ἐπίπεδός ἐστιν, πλευραὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ οἱ Δ, Ζ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ οἱ Δ, Ε ἐλάχιστοί εἰσι τῶν τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἐχόντων τοῖς Γ, Β, ἰσάκις ἄρα ὁ Δ τὸν Γ μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Ε τὸν Β. ὁσάκις δὴ ὁ Ε τὸν Β μετρεῖ, τοσαῦται μονάδες ἔστωσαν ἐν τῷ Η. ὁ Ε ἄρα τὸν Β μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Η μονάδας· ὁ Η ἄρα τὸν Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Β πεποίηκεν.
So A is a plane number, and its sides are Δ, Z. Again, since Δ, E are the least of those having the same ratio as Γ, B, therefore Δ measures Γ the same number of times as E measures B. Now, let there be as many units in H as the times E measures B; therefore E measures B according to the units in H; therefore H by multiplying E has made B.
ὁ Β ἄρα ἐπίπεδός ἐστι, πλευραὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰσιν οἱ Ε, Η. οἱ Α, Β ἄρα ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν ἀριθμοί.
Therefore B is a plane number, and its sides are E, H. Therefore A, B are plane numbers.
λέγω δή, ὅτι καὶ ὅμοιοι.
Now I say that they are also similar.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ Ζ τὸν μὲν Δ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Ε πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Γ, τουτέστιν ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Β. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὁ Ε ἑκάτερον τῶν Ζ, Η πολλαπλασιάσας τοὺς Γ, Β πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Ζ πρὸς τὸν Η, οὕτως ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Β. ὡς δὲ ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε·
For since Z by multiplying Δ has made A, and by multiplying E has made Γ, therefore, as Δ is to E, so is A to Γ, that is, Γ to B. Again, since E by multiplying each of Z, H has made Γ, B, therefore, as Z is to H, so is Γ to B. But, as Γ is to B, so is Δ to E; therefore also, as Δ is to E, so is Z to H.
καὶ ὡς ἄρα ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ε, οὕτως ὁ Ζ πρὸς τὸν Η. καὶ ἐναλλὰξ ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Ζ, οὕτως ὁ Ε πρὸς τὸν Η. οἱ Α, Β ἄρα ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν ἀριθμοί· αἱ γὰρ πλευραὶ αὐτῶν ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
And alternately, as Δ is to Z, so is E to H. Therefore A, B are similar plane numbers; for their sides are proportional; which it was required to prove.