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Classification of incommensurables: Book 10 Proposition 46

Translations

Ἡ ῥητὸν καὶ μέσον δυναμένη καθ' ἓν μόνον σημεῖον διαιρεῖται. Ἔστω ῥητὸν καὶ μέσον δυναμένη ἡ ΑΒ διῃρημένη κατὰ τὸ Γ, ὥστε τὰς ΑΓ, ΓΒ δυνάμει ἀσυμμέτρους εἶναι ποιούσας τὸ μὲν συγκείμενον ἐκ τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ΑΓ, ΓΒ μέσον, τὸ δὲ δὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΓ, ΓΒ ῥητόν: λέγω, ὅτι ἡ ΑΒ κατ' ἄλλο σημεῖον οὐ διαιρεῖται. Εἰ γὰρ δυνατόν, διῃρήσθω καὶ κατὰ τὸ Δ, ὥστε καὶ τὰς ΑΔ, ΔΒ δυνάμει ἀσυμμέτρους εἶναι ποιούσας τὸ μὲν συγκείμενον ἐκ τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ΑΔ, ΔΒ μέσον, τὸ δὲ δὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΔ, ΔΒ ῥητόν. ἐπεὶ οὖν, ᾧ διαφέρει τὸ δὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΓ, ΓΒ τοῦ δὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΔ, ΔΒ, τούτῳ διαφέρει καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ΑΔ, ΔΒ τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ΑΓ, ΓΒ, τὸ δὲ δὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΓ, ΓΒ τοῦ δὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ΑΔ, ΔΒ ὑπερέχει ῥητῷ, καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ΑΔ, ΔΒ ἄρα τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ΑΓ, ΓΒ ὑπερέχει ῥητῷ μέσα ὄντα: ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον. οὐκ ἄρα ἡ ῥητὸν καὶ μέσον δυναμένη κατ' ἄλλο καὶ ἄλλο σημεῖον διαιρεῖται. κατὰ ἓν ἄρα σημεῖον διαιρεῖται: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.

The side of a rational plus a medial area is divided at one point only. Let AB be the side of a rational plus a medial area divided at C, so that AC, CB are incommensurable in square and make the sum of the squares on AC, CB medial, but twice the rectangle AC, CB rational; [X. 40] I say that AB is not so divided at another point. For, if possible, let it be divided at D also, so that AD, DB are also incommensurable in square and make the sum of the squares on AD, DB medial, but twice the rectangle AD, DB rational. Since then that by which twice the rectangle AC, CB differs from twice the rectangle AD, DB is also that by which the squares on AD, DB differ from the squares on AC, CB, while twice the rectangle AC, CB exceeds twice the rectangle AD, DB by a rational area, therefore the squares on AD, DB also exceed the squares on AC, CB by a rational area, though they are medial: which is impossible. [X. 26]