Humanitext Reader

Euclid · Elements §9.prop.1-9.prop.3

Products of Similar Plane Numbers and Cubes of Cubes

Passage 146 of 316 · Greek

Summary

Proves that the product of two similar plane numbers is a square and vice-versa, and demonstrates that the product of a cube number multiplied by itself is also a cube.

§9.prop.1ἐὰν δύο ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοι ἀριθμοὶ πολλαπλασιάσαντες ἀλλήλους ποιῶσί τινα, ὁ γενόμενος τετράγωνος ἔσται.
If two similar plane numbers by multiplying one another make some number, the product will be a square.
ἔστωσαν δύο ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοι ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Α, Β, καὶ ὁ Α τὸν Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ ποιείτω· λέγω, ὅτι ὁ Γ τετράγωνός ἐστιν.
Let A, B be two similar plane numbers, and let A by multiplying B make Γ; I say that Γ is a square.
ὁ γὰρ Α ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ ποιείτω. ὁ Δ ἄρα τετράγωνός ἐστιν.
For let A by multiplying itself make Δ; therefore Δ is a square.
ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ Α ἑαυτὸν μὲν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Γ. καὶ ἐπεὶ οἱ Α, Β ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν ἀριθμοί, τῶν Α, Β ἄρα εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτει ἀριθμός.
Since, therefore, A by multiplying itself has made Δ, and by multiplying B has made Γ, therefore, as A is to B, so is Δ to Γ. And since A, B are similar plane numbers, therefore one number falls between A, B in continued proportion.
ἐὰν δὲ δύο ἀριθμῶν μεταξὺ κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτωσιν ἀριθμοί, ὅσοι εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐμπίπτουσι, τοσοῦτοι καὶ εἰς τοὺς τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον ἔχοντας· ὥστε καὶ τῶν Δ, Γ εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτει ἀριθμός.
But if numbers fall between two numbers in continuous proportion, as many as fall between them, so many also fall between those having the same ratio; so that also one number falls between Δ, Γ in continued proportion.
καί ἐστι τετράγωνος ὁ Δ· τετράγωνος ἄρα καὶ ὁ Γ· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
And Δ is a square; therefore Γ is also a square; which it was required to prove.
§9.prop.2ἐὰν δύο ἀριθμοὶ πολλαπλασιάσαντες ἀλλήλους ποιῶσι τετράγωνον, ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν ἀριθμοί.
If two numbers by multiplying one another make a square, they are similar plane numbers.
ἔστωσαν δύο ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Α, Β, καὶ ὁ Α τὸν Β πολλαπλασιάσας τετράγωνον τὸν Γ ποιείτω· λέγω, ὅτι οἱ Α, Β ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν ἀριθμοί.
Let A, B be two numbers, and let A by multiplying B make a square Γ; I say that A, B are similar plane numbers.
ὁ γὰρ Α ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ ποιείτω· ὁ Δ ἄρα τετράγωνός ἐστιν.
For let A by multiplying itself make Δ; therefore Δ is a square.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Α ἑαυτὸν μὲν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Γ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Δ τετράγωνός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Γ, οἱ Δ, Γ ἄρα ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν.
And since A by multiplying itself has made Δ, and by multiplying B has made Γ, therefore, as A is to B, so is Δ to Γ. And since Δ is a square, and also Γ is, therefore Δ, Γ are similar plane numbers.
τῶν Δ, Γ ἄρα εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτει.
Therefore one number falls between Δ, Γ in continued proportion.
καί ἐστιν ὡς ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Γ, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β· καὶ τῶν Α, Β ἄρα εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτει.
And, as Δ is to Γ, so is A to B; therefore also one number falls between A, B in continued proportion.
ἐὰν δὲ δύο ἀριθμῶν εἷς μέσος ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτῃ, ὅμοιοι ἐπίπεδοί εἰσιν ἀριθμοί· οἱ ἄρα Α, Β ὅμοιοί εἰσιν ἐπίπεδοι· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
But if one number falls between two numbers in continued proportion, they are similar plane numbers; therefore A, B are similar plane numbers; which it was required to prove.
§9.prop.3ἐὰν κύβος ἀριθμὸς ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας ποιῇ τινα, ὁ γενόμενος κύβος ἔσται.
If a cube number by multiplying itself make some number, the product will be a cube.
κύβος γὰρ ἀριθμὸς ὁ Α ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Β ποιείτω· λέγω, ὅτι ὁ Β κύβος ἐστίν.
For let a cube number A by multiplying itself make B; I say that B is a cube.
εἰλήφθω γὰρ τοῦ Α πλευρὰ ὁ Γ, καὶ ὁ Γ ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ ποιείτω.
For let the side of A be taken, namely Γ, and let Γ by multiplying itself make Δ.
φανερὸν δή ἐστιν, ὅτι ὁ Γ τὸν Δ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν.
It is indeed manifest that Γ by multiplying Δ has made A.
καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Γ ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ πεποίηκεν, ὁ Γ ἄρα τὸν Δ μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὑτῷ μονάδας.
And since Γ by multiplying itself has made Δ, therefore Γ measures Δ according to the units in itself.
ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ἡ μονὰς τὸν Γ μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ μονάδας· ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ μονὰς πρὸς τὸν Γ, ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὁ Γ τὸν Δ πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Α πεποίηκεν, ὁ Δ ἄρα τὸν Α μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν τῷ Γ μονάδας.
But indeed the unit also measures Γ according to the units in it; therefore, as the unit is to Γ, so is Γ to Δ. Again, since Γ by multiplying Δ has made A, therefore Δ measures A according to the units in Γ.
μετρεῖ δὲ καὶ ἡ μονὰς τὸν Γ κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ μονάδας· ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ μονὰς πρὸς τὸν Γ, ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Α. ἀλλʼ ὡς ἡ μονὰς πρὸς τὸν Γ, ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ· καὶ ὡς ἄρα ἡ μονὰς πρὸς τὸν Γ, οὕτως ὁ Γ πρὸς τὸν Δ καὶ ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Α. τῆς ἄρα μονάδος καὶ τοῦ Α ἀριθμοῦ δύο μέσοι ἀνάλογον κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐμπεπτώκασιν ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Γ, Δ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὁ Α ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Β πεποίηκεν, ὁ Α ἄρα τὸν Β μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὑτῷ μονάδας.
But the unit also measures Γ according to the units in it; therefore, as the unit is to Γ, so is Δ to A. But as the unit is to Γ, so is Γ to Δ; therefore also, as the unit is to Γ, so is Γ to Δ and Δ to A. Therefore between the unit and the number A two numbers Γ, Δ have fallen in continuous proportion. Again, since A by multiplying itself has made B, therefore A measures B according to the units in itself.
μετρεῖ δὲ καὶ ἡ μονὰς τὸν Α κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ μονάδας· ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ μονὰς πρὸς τὸν Α, ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β. τῆς δὲ μονάδος καὶ τοῦ Α δύο μέσοι ἀνάλογον ἐμπεπτώκασιν ἀριθμοί· καὶ τῶν Α, Β ἄρα δύο μέσοι ἀνάλογον ἐμπεσοῦνται ἀριθμοί.
But the unit also measures A according to the units in it; therefore, as the unit is to A, so is A to B. But between the unit and A two numbers have fallen in continued proportion; therefore also between A, B two numbers will fall in continued proportion.
ἐὰν δὲ δύο ἀριθμῶν δύο μέσοι ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτωσιν, ὁ δὲ πρῶτος κύβος ᾖ, καὶ ὁ δεύτερος κύβος ἔσται.
But if two numbers fall between two numbers in continued proportion, and the first is a cube, the second will also be a cube.
καί ἐστιν ὁ Α κύβος· καὶ ὁ Β ἄρα κύβος ἐστίν· ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
And A is a cube; therefore B is also a cube; which it was required to prove.

Notes

  1. 9.prop.1ὁ γενόμενος — Substantive use of the participle meaning 'the generated number' or 'the product'. It refers to the number produced by the preceding multiplication (πολλαπλασιάσαντες).
  2. 9.prop.3κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὑτῷ μονάδας — 'According to the units in itself.' This expression is based on the definition of multiplication in Euclid (Elements, Book VII, Def. 15), where to multiply a number A by a number B is to add B to itself as many times as there are units in A. Thus, if the product is B, then A measures B according to the units in itself (A).
  3. 9.prop.3τῆς ἄρα μονάδος καὶ τοῦ Α ἀριθμοῦ δύο μέσοι ἀνάλογον κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἐμπεπτώκασιν ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Γ, Δ — The structural interpretation that two mean proportionals Γ, Δ fall between the unit 1 and the cube number A. Since Γ is the cube root of A and Δ is the square of Γ (Γ^2), the proportion 1 : Γ = Γ : Γ^2 = Γ^2 : Γ^3 (= A) holds (i.e., 1 : Γ = Γ : Δ = Δ : A), meaning two numbers fall between them in continued proportion.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Elements §9.prop.1-9.prop.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:9.prop.1-9.prop.3

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