Index ← Previous Next →

Theory of proportions: Book 5 Proposition 3

Translations

Ἐὰν πρῶτον δευτέρου ἰσάκις ᾖ πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον τετάρτου, ληφθῇ δὲ ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τοῦ τε πρώτου καὶ τρίτου, καὶ δι' ἴσου τῶν ληφθέντων ἑκάτερον ἑκατέρου ἰσάκις ἔσται πολλαπλάσιον τὸ μὲν τοῦ δευτέρου τὸ δὲ τοῦ τετάρτου. Πρῶτον γὰρ τὸ Α δευτέρου τοῦ Β ἰσάκις ἔστω πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον τὸ Γ τετάρτου τοῦ Δ, καὶ εἰλήφθω τῶν Α, Γ ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ ΕΖ, ΗΘ: λέγω, ὅτι ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΕΖ τοῦ Β καὶ τὸ ΗΘ τοῦ Δ. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΕΖ τοῦ Α καὶ τὸ ΗΘ τοῦ Γ, ὅσα ἄρα ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ΕΖ ἴσα τῷ Α, τοσαῦτα καὶ ἐν τῷ ΗΘ ἴσα τῷ Γ. διῃρήσθω τὸ μὲν ΕΖ εἰς τὰ τῷ Α μεγέθη ἴσα τὰ ΕΚ, ΚΖ, τὸ δὲ ΗΘ εἰς τὰ τῷ Γ ἴσα τὰ ΗΛ, ΛΘ: ἔσται δὴ ἴσον τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ΕΚ, ΚΖ τῷ πλήθει τῶν ΗΛ, ΛΘ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ Α τοῦ Β καὶ τὸ Γ τοῦ Δ, ἴσον δὲ τὸ μὲν ΕΚ τῷ Α, τὸ δὲ ΗΛ τῷ Γ, ἰσάκις ἄρα ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΕΚ τοῦ Β καὶ τὸ ΗΛ τοῦ Δ. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ ΚΖ τοῦ Β καὶ τὸ ΛΘ τοῦ Δ. ἐπεὶ οὖν πρῶτον τὸ ΕΚ δευτέρου τοῦ Β ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον τὸ ΗΛ τετάρτου τοῦ Δ, ἔστι δὲ καὶ πέμπτον τὸ ΚΖ δευτέρου τοῦ Β ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσιον καὶ ἕκτον τὸ ΛΘ τετάρτου τοῦ Δ, καὶ συντεθὲν ἄρα πρῶτον καὶ πέμπτον τὸ ΕΖ δευτέρου τοῦ Β ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον καὶ ἕκτον τὸ ΗΘ τετάρτου τοῦ Δ. Ἐὰν ἄρα πρῶτον δευτέρου ἰσάκις ᾖ πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τρίτον τετάρτου, ληφθῇ δὲ τοῦ πρώτου καὶ τρίτου ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια, καὶ δι' ἴσου τῶν ληφθέντων ἑκάτερον ἑκατέρου ἰσάκις ἔσται πολλαπλάσιον τὸ μὲν τοῦ δευτέρου τὸ δὲ τοῦ τετάρτου: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.

If a first magnitude be the same multiple of a second that a third is of a fourth, and if equimultiples be taken of the first and third, then also ex aequali the magnitudes taken will be equimultiples respectively, the one of the second and the other of the fourth. Let a first magnitude A be the same multiple of a second B that a third C is of a fourth D, and let equimultiples EF, GH be taken of A, C; I say that EF is the same multiple of B that GH is of D. For, since EF is the same multiple of A that GH is of C, therefore, as many magnitudes as there are in EF equal to A, so many also are there in GH equal to C. Let EF be divided into the magnitudes EK, KF equal to A, and GH into the magnitudes GL, LH equal to C; then the multitude of the magnitudes EK, KF will be equal to the multitude of the magnitudes GL, LH. And, since A is the same multiple of B that C is of D, while EK is equal to A, and GL to C, therefore EK is the same multiple of B that GL is of D. For the same reason KF is the same multiple of B that LH is of D. Since, then, a first magnitude EK is the same multiple of a second B that a third GL is of a fourth D, and a fifth KF is also the same multiple of the second B that a sixth LH is of the fourth D, therefore the sum of the first and fifth, EF, is also the same multiple of the second B that the sum of the third and sixth, GH, is of the fourth D. [V. 2]