Book IX, Proposition 9

If as many numbers as we please beginning from an unit be in continued proportion, and the number after the unit be square, all the rest will also be square.

Ἐὰν ἀπὸ μονάδος ὁποσοιοῦν ἑξῆς κατὰ τὸ συνεχὲς ἀριθμοὶ ἀνάλογον ὦσιν, ὁ δὲ μετὰ τὴν μονάδα τετράγωνος ᾖ, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες τετράγωνοι ἔσονται. καὶ ἐὰν ὁ μετὰ τὴν μονάδα κύβος ᾖ, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες κύβοι ἔσονται. Ἔστωσαν ἀπὸ μονάδος ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον ὁσοιδηποτοῦν ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Α, Β, Γ, Δ, Ε, Ζ, ὁ δὲ μετὰ τὴν μονάδα ὁ Α τετράγωνος ἔστω: λέγω, ὅτι καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες τετράγωνοι ἔσονται. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ὁ τρίτος ἀπὸ τῆς μονάδος ὁ Β τετράγωνός ἐστι καὶ οἱ ἕνα διαλείποντες πάντες, δέδεικται: λέγω [ δή ], ὅτι καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες τετράγωνοί εἰσιν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ οἱ Α, Β, Γ ἑξῆς ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν, καί ἐστιν ὁ Α τετράγωνος, καὶ ὁ Γ [ ἄρα ] τετράγωνός ἐστιν. πάλιν, ἐπεὶ [ καὶ ] οἱ Β, Γ, Δ ἑξῆς ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν, καί ἐστιν ὁ Β τετράγωνος, καὶ ὁ Δ [ ἄρα ] τετράγωνός ἐστιν. ὁμοίως δὴ δείξομεν, ὅτι καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες τετράγωνοί εἰσιν. Ἀλλὰ δὴ ἔστω ὁ Α κύβος: λέγω, ὅτι καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες κύβοι εἰσίν. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ὁ τέταρτος ἀπὸ τῆς μονάδος ὁ Γ κύβος ἐστὶ καὶ οἱ δύο διαλείποντες πάντες, δέδεικται: λέγω [ δή ], ὅτι καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες κύβοι εἰσίν. ἐπεὶ γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἡ μονὰς πρὸς τὸν Α, οὕτως ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, ἰσάκις ἄρα ἡ μονὰς τὸν Α μετρεῖ καὶ ὁ Α τὸν Β. ἡ δὲ μονὰς τὸν Α μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ μονάδας: καὶ ὁ Α ἄρα τὸν Β μετρεῖ κατὰ τὰς ἐν αὑτῷ μονάδας: ὁ Α ἄρα ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Β πεποίηκεν. καί ἐστιν ὁ Α κύβος. ἐὰν δὲ κύβος ἀριθμὸς ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας ποιῇ τινα, ὁ γενόμενος κύβος ἐστίν: καὶ ὁ Β ἄρα κύβος ἐστίν. καὶ ἐπεὶ τέσσαρες ἀριθμοὶ οἱ Α, Β, Γ, Δ ἑξῆς ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν, καί ἐστιν ὁ Α κύβος, καὶ ὁ Δ ἄρα κύβος ἐστίν. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ὁ Ε κύβος ἐστίν, καὶ ὁμοίως οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες κύβοι εἰσίν: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι. If as many numbers as we please beginning from an unit be in continued proportion, and the number after the unit be square, all the rest will also be square. And, if the number after the unit be cube, all the rest will also be cube. Let there be as many numbers as we please, A, B, C, D, E, F, beginning from an unit and in continued proportion, and let A, the number after the unit, be square; I say that all the rest will also be square. Now it has been proved that B, the third from the unit, is square, as are also all those which leave out one; [IX. 8] I say that all the rest are also square. For, since A, B, C are in continued proportion, and A is square, therefore C is also square. [VIII. 22] Again, since B, C, D are in continued proportion, and B is square, D is also square. [VIII. 22] Similarly we can prove that all the rest are also square. Next, let A be cube; I say that all the rest are also cube. Now it has been proved that C, the fourth from the unit, is cube, as also are all those which leave out two; [IX. 8] I say that all the rest are also cube. For, since, as the unit is to A, so is A to B, therefore the unit measures A the same number of times as A measures B. But the unit measures A according to the units in it; therefore A also measures B according to the units in itself; therefore A by multiplying itself has made B. And A is cube. But, if a cube number by multiplying itself make some number, the product is cube. [IX. 3] Therefore B is also cube. And, since the four numbers A, B, C, D are in continued proportion, and A is cube, D also is cube. [VIII. 23]

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