Constructions for inscribed and circumscribed figures: Book 4 Proposition 7
Translations
Περὶ τὸν δοθέντα κύκλον τετράγωνον περιγράψαι. Ἔστω ὁ δοθεὶς κύκλος ὁ ΑΒΓΔ: δεῖ δὴ περὶ τὸν ΑΒΓΔ κύκλον τετράγωνον περιγράψαι. Ἤχθωσαν τοῦ ΑΒΓΔ κύκλου δύο διάμετροι πρὸς ὀρθὰς ἀλλήλαις αἱ ΑΓ, ΒΔ, καὶ διὰ τῶν Α, Β, Γ, Δ σημείων ἤχθωσαν ἐφαπτόμεναι τοῦ ΑΒΓΔ κύκλου αἱ ΖΗ, ΗΘ, ΘΚ, ΚΖ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐφάπτεται ἡ ΖΗ τοῦ ΑΒΓΔ κύκλου, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Ε κέντρου ἐπὶ τὴν κατὰ τὸ Α ἐπαφὴν ἐπέζευκται ἡ ΕΑ, αἱ ἄρα πρὸς τῷ Α γωνίαι ὀρθαί εἰσιν. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ αἱ πρὸς τοῖς Β, Γ, Δ σημείοις γωνίαι ὀρθαί εἰσιν. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὀρθή ἐστιν ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΕΒ γωνία, ἐστὶ δὲ ὀρθὴ καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΕΒΗ, παράλληλος ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ ΗΘ τῇ ΑΓ. διὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ ἡ ΑΓ τῇ ΖΚ ἐστι παράλληλος. ὥστε καὶ ἡ ΗΘ τῇ ΖΚ ἐστι παράλληλος. ὁμοίως δὴ δείξομεν, ὅτι καὶ ἑκατέρα τῶν ΗΖ, ΘΚ τῇ ΒΕΔ ἐστι παράλληλος. παραλληλόγραμμα ἄρα ἐστὶ τὰ ΗΚ, ΗΓ, ΑΚ, ΖΒ, ΒΚ: ἴση ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ μὲν ΗΖ τῇ ΘΚ, ἡ δὲ ΗΘ τῇ ΖΚ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΑΓ τῇ ΒΔ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ μὲν ΑΓ ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν ΗΘ, ΖΚ, ἡ δὲ ΒΔ ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν ΗΖ, ΘΚ ἐστιν ἴση [καὶ ἑκατέρα ἄρα τῶν ΗΘ, ΖΚ ἑκατέρᾳ τῶν ΗΖ, ΘΚ ἐστιν ἴση], ἰσόπλευρον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΖΗΘΚ τετράπλευρον. λέγω δή, ὅτι καὶ ὀρθογώνιον. ἐπεὶ γὰρ παραλληλόγραμμόν ἐστι τὸ ΗΒΕΑ, καί ἐστιν ὀρθὴ ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΕΒ, ὀρθὴ ἄρα καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΗΒ. ὁμοίως δὴ δείξομεν, ὅτι καὶ αἱ πρὸς τοῖς Θ, Κ, Ζ γωνίαι ὀρθαί εἰσιν. ὀρθογώνιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΖΗΘΚ. ἐδείχθη δὲ καὶ ἰσόπλευρον: τετράγωνον ἄρα ἐστίν. καὶ περιγέγραπται περὶ τὸν ΑΒΓΔ κύκλον. Περὶ τὸν δοθέντα ἄρα κύκλον τετράγωνον περιγέγραπται: ὅπερ ἔδει ποιῆσαι.
About a given circle to circumscribe a square. Let ABCD be the given circle; thus it is required to circumscribe a square about the circle ABCD. Let two diameters AC, BD of the circle ABCD be drawn at right angles to one another, and through the points A, B, C, D let FG, GH, HK, KF be drawn touching the circle ABCD. [III. 16, Por.] Then, since FG touches the circle ABCD, and EA has been joined from the centre E to the point of contact at A, therefore the angles at A are right. [III. 18] For the same reason the angles at the points B, C, D are also right. Now, since the angle AEB is right, and the angle EBG is also right, therefore GH is parailel to AC. [I. 28] For the same reason AC is also parallel to FK, so that GH is also parallel to FK. [I. 30] Similarly we can prove that each of the straight lines GF, HK is parallel to BED. Therefore GK, GC, AK, FB, BK are parallelograms; therefore GF is equal to HK, and GH to FK. [I. 34] And, since AC is equal to BD, and AC is also equal to each of the straight lines GH, FK, while BD is equal to each of the straight lines GF, HK, [I. 34] therefore the quadrilateral FGHK is equilateral. I say next that it is also right-angled. For, since GBEA is a parallelogram, and the angle AEB is right, therefore the angle AGB is also right. [I. 34] Similarly we can prove that the angles at H, K, F are also right. Therefore FGHK is right-angled. But it was also proved equilateral; therefore it is a square; and it has been circumscribed about the circle ABCD.