Humanitext Reader

Euclid · Fragments §6.23-6.25

Equations of Rectangles and Squares from Sums of Segments

Passage 16 of 29 · Greek

Summary

Three geometric propositions are proved, deriving equations between rectangles and squares involving the sum or difference of segments based on properties of proportion, such as addition and subtraction of ratios.

§6.23κγ΄.
23.
Ἔστω τὸ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ ἴσον τῷ ἀπὸ Β∠ τετραγώνῳ· ὅτι γίνεται γ, τὸ μὲν ὑπὸ συναμφοτέρου τῆς Α∠Γ καὶ τῆς Β∠ ἴσον τῷ ὑπὸ Α∠, ∠Γ, τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ συναμφοτέρου τῆς Α∠Γ καὶ τῆς ΒΓ ἴσον τῷ ἀπὸ ∠Γ τετραγώνῳ, τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ συναμφοτέρου τῆς Α∠Γ καὶ τῆς ΒΑ ἴσον τῷ ἀπὸ Α∠ τετραγώνῳ.
Let the rectangle contained by ΑΒ, ΒΓ be equal to the square on Β∠; (to prove) that three things follow: first, the rectangle contained by the sum of Α∠, ∠Γ and Β∠ is equal to the rectangle contained by Α∠, ∠Γ; second, the rectangle contained by the sum of Α∠, ∠Γ and ΒΓ is equal to the square on ∠Γ; third, the rectangle contained by the sum of Α∠, ∠Γ and ΒΑ is equal to the square on Α∠.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὸ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ ἀπὸ Β∠, ἀνάλογον καὶ ὅλη πρὸς ὅλην καὶ ἀνάπαλιν καὶ συνθέντι· ἔστιν ἄρα, ὡς συναμφότερος ἡ Γ∠, ∠Α πρὸς τὴν ∠Α, οὕτως ἡ Γ∠ πρὸς τὴν ∠Β·
For since the rectangle contained by ΑΒ, ΒΓ is equal to the square on Β∠, whole is proportional to whole, and by inversion and addition; therefore, as the sum of Γ∠, ∠Α is to ∠Α, so is Γ∠ to ∠Β; therefore, the rectangle contained by the sum of Α∠, ∠Γ and Β∠ is equal to the rectangle contained by Α∠, ∠Γ.
τὸ ἄρα ὑπὸ συναμφοτέρου τῆς Α∠, ∠Γ καὶ τῆς Β∠ ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ὑπὸ τῶν Α∠Γ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὅλη ἡ Α∠ πρὸς ὅλην τὴν ∠Γ ἐστιν, ὡς ἡ ∠Β πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ, συνθέντι ἐστίν, ὡς συναμφότερος ἡ Α∠Γ πρὸς τὴν ∠Γ, οὕτως ἡ ∠Γ πρὸς τὴν ΓΒ·
Again, since the whole Α∠ is to the whole ∠Γ, as ∠Β is to ΒΓ, by addition, as the sum of Α∠, ∠Γ is to ∠Γ, so is ∠Γ to ΓΒ; therefore, the rectangle contained by the sum of Α∠, ∠Γ and ΓΒ is equal to the square on ∠Γ.
τὸ ἄρα ὑπὸ συναμφοτέρου τῆς Α∠Γ καὶ τῆς ΓΒ ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ ἀπὸ ∠Γ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ ὅλη ἡ Α∠ πρὸς ὅλην τὴν ∠Γ ἐστιν, ὡς ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν Β∠, ἀνάπαλιν καὶ συνθέντι ἐστίν, ὡς συναμφότερος ἡ Γ∠Α πρὸς τὴν ∠Α, οὕτως ἡ ∠Α πρὸς τὴν ΑΒ· τὸ ἄρα ὑπὸ συναμφοτέρου τῆς Α∠Γ καὶ τῆς ΑΒ ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ ἀπὸ Α∠ τετραγώνῳ.
Again, since the whole Α∠ is to the whole ∠Γ, as ΑΒ is to Β∠, by inversion and addition, as the sum of Γ∠, ∠Α is to ∠Α, so is ∠Α to ΑΒ; therefore, the rectangle contained by the sum of Α∠, ∠Γ and ΑΒ is equal to the square on Α∠.
§6.24κδ΄.
24.
Εὐθεῖα ἡ ΑΒ καὶ δύο σημεῖα τὰ Γ, Δ, καὶ ἔστω τὸ ἀπὸ Γ∠ τετράγωνον ἴσον τῷ δὲς ὑπὸ ΑΓ Β∠· ὅτι καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ ΑΒ τετράγωνον ἴσον ἐστὶν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν Α∠, ΓΒ τετραγώνοις.
Let there be a straight line ΑΒ and two points Γ, Δ, and let the square on Γ∠ be equal to twice the rectangle contained by ΑΓ, Β∠; (to prove) that the square on ΑΒ is also equal to the squares on Α∠, ΓΒ.
ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὸ ἀπὸ Γ∠ ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ θὶς ὑπὸ ΑΓ, ∠Β, τὸ ἄρα δίς ὑπὸ ΑΓΒ ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ τε ἀπὸ τῆς Γ∠ καὶ τῷ δὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΓ∠.
For since the square on Γ∠ is equal to twice the rectangle contained by ΑΓ, ∠Β, therefore twice the rectangle contained by ΑΓ, ΓΒ is equal to both the square on Γ∠ and twice the rectangle contained by ΑΓ, ∠.
κοινὸν προσκείσθω τὸ ἀπὸ ΑΓ· τὸ ἄρα δὶς ὑπὸ ΑΓΒ μετὰ τοῦ ἀπὸ ΑΓ ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ ἀπὸ Α∠.
Let the common square on ΑΓ be added; therefore twice the rectangle contained by ΑΓ, ΓΒ together with the square on ΑΓ is equal to the square on Α∠.
κοινὸν προσκείσθω τὸ ἀπὸ ΒΓ· ὅλον ἄρα τὸ ἀπὸ ΑΒ τετράγωνον ἴσον ἐστὶ τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν Α∠, ΓΒ τετραγώνοις.
Let the common square on ΒΓ be added; therefore the whole square on ΑΒ is equal to the squares on Α∠, ΓΒ.
§6.25κε΄.
25.
Ἔστω τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΒΓ ἴσον τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Β∠· ὅτι γίνεται γ, τὸ μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Α∠, ∠Γ ὑπεροχῆς καὶ τῆς Β∠ ἴσον τῷ ὑπὸ Α∠Γ τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Α∠Γ ὑπεροχῆς καὶ τῆς ΒΓ ἴσον τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ∠Γ τετραγώνῳ, τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Α∠, ∠Γ ὑπεροχῆς καὶ τῆς ΒΑ ἴσον τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Α∠ τετραγώνῳ.
Let the rectangle contained by ΑΒ, ΒΓ be equal to the square on Β∠; (to prove) that three things follow: first, the rectangle contained by the difference between Α∠, ∠Γ and Β∠ is equal to the rectangle contained by Α∠, ∠Γ; second, the rectangle contained by the difference between Α∠, ∠Γ and ΒΓ is equal to the square on ∠Γ; third, the rectangle contained by the difference between Α∠, ∠Γ and ΒΑ is equal to the square on Α∠.
ἐπεὶ γάρ ἐστιν, ὡς ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν Β∠, οὕτως ἡ Β∠ πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ, λοιπὴ πρὸς λοιπὴν καὶ διελόντι· ἔστιν οὖν, ὡς ἡ τῶν Α∠, ∠Γ ὑπεροχὴ πρὸς τὴν ∠Γ, οὕτως ἡ Α∠ πρὸς τὴν ∠Β τὸ ἄρα ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Α∠, ∠ ὑπεροχῆς καὶ τῆς ∠Β ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ ὑπὸ τῶν Α∠, ∠Γ. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ λοιπὴ ἡ Α∠ πρὸς λοιπὴν τὴν ∠Γ ἐστιν, ὡς ἡ ∠Β πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ, διελόντι ἐστίν, ὡς ἡ τῶν Α∠Γ ὑπεροχὴ πρὸς τὴν ∠Γ, οὕτως ἡ ∠Γ πρὸς τὴν ΓΒ·
For since, as ΑΒ is to Β∠, so is Β∠ to ΒΓ, remaining is to remaining, and by subtraction; therefore, as the difference between Α∠, ∠Γ is to ∠Γ, so is Α∠ to ∠Β; therefore, the rectangle contained by the difference between Α∠, ∠ and ∠Β is equal to the rectangle contained by Α∠, ∠Γ.
τὸ ἄρα ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Α∠, ∠Γ ὑπεροχῆς καὶ τῆς ΒΓ ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ΔΓ τετραγώνῳ.
Again, since the remaining Α∠ is to the remaining ∠Γ, as ∠Β is to ΒΓ, by subtraction, as the difference between Α∠, ∠Γ is to ∠Γ, so is ∠Γ to ΓΒ; therefore, the rectangle contained by the difference between Α∠, ∠Γ and ΒΓ is equal to the square on ΔΓ.
πάλιν, ἐπεί ἐστιν, ὡς ἡ Α∠ πρὸς τὴν ∠Γ οὕτως ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν Β∠, ἀνάπαλιν καὶ διελόντι ἐστίν, ὡς ἡ τῶν Απαλιν, ∠Γ ὑπεροχὴ πρὸς τὴν ∠Α, οὕτως ἡ ∠Α πρὸς τὴν ΑΒ τὸ ἄρα ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Α∠, ∠Γ ὑπεροχῆς καὶ τῆς ΑΒ ἴσον ἐστὶν τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Α∠ τετραγώνῳ.
Again, since, as Α∠ is to ∠Γ, so is ΑΒ to Β∠, by inversion and subtraction, as the difference between Απαλιν, ∠Γ is to ∠Α, so is ∠Α to ΑΒ; therefore, the rectangle contained by the difference between Α∠, ∠Γ and ΑΒ is equal to the square on Α∠.

Notes

  1. 6.23συναμφοτέρου τῆς Α∠Γ — An expression representing the sum of the two straight lines Α∠ and ∠Γ, meaning "both Α∠ and ∠Γ together."
  2. 6.23ἀνάλογον καὶ ὅλη πρὸς ὅλην καὶ ἀνάπαλιν καὶ συνθέντι — A sequence of ratio manipulations in geometry. Since the wholes are proportional, it explains the process of inverting the ratio (by inversion) and then compounding it (by addition / componendo).
  3. 6.24τῶν ΑΓ∠ — Strictly speaking, this should refer to the rectangle contained by the two straight lines ΑΓ and ∠Γ (τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΓ, ∠Γ), but appears in this three-letter form as a shorthand or scribal error.
  4. 6.25τῆς τῶν Α∠, ∠ ὑπεροχῆς — In place of `τῆς τῶν Α∠, ∠Γ ὑπεροχῆς` (the difference between Α∠ and ∠Γ), the second Γ appears to have been omitted in the manuscript tradition.
  5. 6.25τῶν Απαλιν, ∠Γ — In place of the segment notation `Α∠, ∠Γ`, the adverb `ἀνάπαλιν` (by inversion/inversely) has mistakenly contaminated the letter sequence, resulting in the scribal error `Απαλιν, ∠Γ`.

Cite this passage

Euclid, Fragments §6.23-6.25. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg1799.tlg016.humanitext-grc1:6.23-6.25

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.