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Theory of proportions: Book 5 Proposition 7

Translations

Τὰ ἴσα πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πρὸς τὰ ἴσα. Ἔστω ἴσα μεγέθη τὰ Α, Β, ἄλλο δέ τι, ὃ ἔτυχεν, μέγεθος τὸ Γ: λέγω, ὅτι ἑκάτερον τῶν Α, Β πρὸς τὸ Γ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον, καὶ τὸ Γ πρὸς ἑκάτερον τῶν Α, Β. Εἰλήφθω γὰρ τῶν μὲν Α, Β ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Δ, Ε, τοῦ δὲ Γ ἄλλο, ὃ ἔτυχεν, πολλαπλάσιον τὸ Ζ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἰσάκις ἐστὶ πολλαπλάσιον τὸ Δ τοῦ Α καὶ τὸ Ε τοῦ Β, ἴσον δὲ τὸ Α τῷ Β, ἴσον ἄρα καὶ τὸ Δ τῷ Ε. ἄλλο δέ, ὃ ἔτυχεν, τὸ Ζ. Εἰ ἄρα ὑπερέχει τὸ Δ τοῦ Ζ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τὸ Ε τοῦ Ζ, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἔλαττον. καί ἐστι τὰ μὲν Δ, Ε τῶν Α, Β ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια, τὸ δὲ Ζ τοῦ Γ ἄλλο, ὃ ἔτυχεν, πολλαπλάσιον: ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Γ, οὕτως τὸ Β πρὸς τὸ Γ. Λέγω [δή], ὅτι καὶ τὸ Γ πρὸς ἑκάτερον τῶν Α, Β τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον. Τῶν γὰρ αὐτῶν κατασκευασθέντων ὁμοίως δείξομεν, ὅτι ἴσον ἐστὶ τὸ Δ τῷ Ε: ἄλλο δέ τι τὸ Ζ: εἰ ἄρα ὑπερέχει τὸ Ζ τοῦ Δ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τοῦ Ε, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἔλαττον. καί ἐστι τὸ μὲν Ζ τοῦ Γ πολλαπλάσιον, τὰ δὲ Δ, Ε τῶν Α, Β ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια: ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Α, οὕτως τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Β. Τὰ ἴσα ἄρα πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πρὸς τὰ ἴσα.Πόρισμα.Ἐκ δὴ τούτου φανερόν, ὅτι ἐὰν μεγέθη τινὰ ἀνάλογον ᾖ, καὶ ἀνάπαλιν ἀνάλογον ἔσται. ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.

Equal magnitudes have to the same the same ratio, as also has the same to equal magnitudes. Let A, B be equal magnitudes and C any other, chance, magnitude; I say that each of the magnitudes A, B has the same ratio to C, and C has the same ratio to each of the magnitudes A, B. For let equimultiples D, E of A, B be taken, and of C another, chance, multiple F. Then, since D is the same multiple of A that E is of B, while A is equal to B, therefore D is equal to E. But F is another, chance, magnitude. If therefore D is in excess of F, E is also in excess of F, if equal to it, equal; and, if less, less. And D, E are equimultiples of A, B, while F is another, chance, multiple of C; therefore, as A is to C, so is B to C. [V. Def. 5] I say next that C also has the same ratio to each of the magnitudes A, B. For, with the same construction, we can prove similarly that D is equal to E; and F is some other magnitude. If therefore F is in excess of D, it is also in excess of E, if equal, equal; and, if less, less. And F is a multiple of C, while D, E are other, chance, equimultiples of A, B; therefore, as C is to A, so is C to B. [V. Def. 5] Therefore etc.Porism. From this it is manifest that, if any magnitudes are proportional, they will also be proportional inversely.