Similar figures and proportions: Book 6 Proposition 7
Translations
Ἐὰν δύο τρίγωνα μίαν γωνίαν μιᾷ γωνίᾳ ἴσην ἔχῃ, περὶ δὲ ἄλλας γωνίας τὰς πλευρὰς ἀνάλογον, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἑκατέραν ἅμα ἤτοι ἐλάσσονα ἢ μὴ ἐλάσσονα ὀρθῆς, ἰσογώνια ἔσται τὰ τρίγωνα καὶ ἴσας ἕξει τὰς γωνίας, περὶ ἃς ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν αἱ πλευραί. Ἔστω δύο τρίγωνα τὰ ΑΒΓ, ΔΕΖ μίαν γωνίαν μιᾷ γωνίᾳ ἴσην ἔχοντα τὴν ὑπὸ ΒΑΓ τῇ ὑπὸ ΕΔΖ, περὶ δὲ ἄλλας γωνίας τὰς ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ, ΔΕΖ τὰς πλευρὰς ἀνάλογον, ὡς τὴν ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ, οὕτως τὴν ΔΕ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν τῶν πρὸς τοῖς Γ, Ζ πρότερον ἑκατέραν ἅμα ἐλάσσονα ὀρθῆς: λέγω, ὅτι ἰσογώνιόν ἐστι τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον τῷ ΔΕΖ τριγώνῳ, καὶ ἴση ἔσται ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ γωνία τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΖ, καὶ λοιπὴ δηλονότι ἡ πρὸς τῷ Γ λοιπῇ τῇ πρὸς τῷ Ζ ἴση. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνισός ἐστιν ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ γωνία τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΖ, μία αὐτῶν μείζων ἐστίν. ἔστω μείζων ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ. καὶ συνεστάτω πρὸς τῇ ΑΒ εὐθείᾳ καὶ τῷ πρὸς αὐτῇ σημείῳ τῷ Β τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΖ γωνίᾳ ἴση ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΒΗ. Καὶ ἐπεὶ ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ μὲν Α γωνία τῇ Δ, ἡ δὲ ὑπὸ ΑΒΗ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΖ, λοιπὴ ἄρα ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΗΒ λοιπῇ τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΖΕ ἐστιν ἴση. ἰσογώνιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΗ τρίγωνον τῷ ΔΕΖ τριγώνῳ. ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΗ, οὕτως ἡ ΔΕ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ. ὡς δὲ ἡ ΔΕ πρὸς τὴν ΕΖ, [οὕτως] ὑπόκειται ἡ ΑΒ πρὸς τὴν ΒΓ: ἡ ΑΒ ἄρα πρὸς ἑκατέραν τῶν ΒΓ, ΒΗ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχει λόγον: ἴση ἄρα ἡ ΒΓ τῇ ΒΗ. ὥστε καὶ γωνία ἡ πρὸς τῷ Γ γωνίᾳ τῇ ὑπὸ ΒΗΓ ἐστιν ἴση. ἐλάττων δὲ ὀρθῆς ὑπόκειται ἡ πρὸς τῷ Γ: ἐλάττων ἄρα ἐστὶν ὀρθῆς καὶ ἡ ὑπὸ ΒΗΓ: ὥστε ἡ ἐφεξῆς αὐτῇ γωνία ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΗΒ μείζων ἐστὶν ὀρθῆς. καὶ ἐδείχθη ἴση οὖσα τῇ πρὸς τῷ Ζ: καὶ ἡ πρὸς τῷ Ζ ἄρα μείζων ἐστὶν ὀρθῆς. ὑπόκειται δὲ ἐλάσσων ὀρθῆς: ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἄτοπον. οὐκ ἄρα ἄνισός ἐστιν ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ γωνία τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΖ: ἴση ἄρα. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἡ πρὸς τῷ Α ἴση τῇ πρὸς τῷ Δ: καὶ λοιπὴ ἄρα ἡ πρὸς τῷ Γ λοιπῇ τῇ πρὸς τῷ Ζ ἴση ἐστίν. ἰσογώνιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον τῷ ΔΕΖ τριγώνῳ. Ἀλλὰ δὴ πάλιν ὑποκείσθω ἑκατέρα τῶν πρὸς τοῖς Γ, Ζ μὴ ἐλάσσων ὀρθῆς: λέγω πάλιν, ὅτι καὶ οὕτως ἐστὶν ἰσογώνιον τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον τῷ ΔΕΖ τριγώνῳ. Τῶν γὰρ αὐτῶν κατασκευασθέντων ὁμοίως δείξομεν, ὅτι ἴση ἐστὶν ἡ ΒΓ τῇ ΒΗ: ὥστε καὶ γωνία ἡ πρὸς τῷ Γ τῇ ὑπὸ ΒΗΓ ἴση ἐστίν. οὐκ ἐλάττων δὲ ὀρθῆς ἡ πρὸς τῷ Γ: οὐκ ἐλάττων ἄρα ὀρθῆς οὐδὲ ἡ ὑπὸ ΒΗΓ. τριγώνου δὴ τοῦ ΒΗΓ αἱ δύο γωνίαι δύο ὀρθῶν οὔκ εἰσιν ἐλάττονες: ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον. οὐκ ἄρα πάλιν ἄνισός ἐστιν ἡ ὑπὸ ΑΒΓ γωνία τῇ ὑπὸ ΔΕΖ: ἴση ἄρα. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἡ πρὸς τῷ Α τῇ πρὸς τῷ Δ ἴση: λοιπὴ ἄρα ἡ πρὸς τῷ Γ λοιπῇ τῇ πρὸς τῷ Ζ ἴση ἐστίν. ἰσογώνιον ἄρα ἐστὶ τὸ ΑΒΓ τρίγωνον τῷ ΔΕΖ τριγώνῳ. Ἐὰν ἄρα δύο τρίγωνα μίαν γωνίαν μιᾷ γωνίᾳ ἴσην ἔχῃ, περὶ δὲ ἄλλας γωνίας τὰς πλευρὰς ἀνάλογον, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἑκατέραν ἅμα ἐλάττονα ἢ μὴ ἐλάττονα ὀρθῆς, ἰσογώνια ἔσται τὰ τρίγωνα καὶ ἴσας ἕξει τὰς γωνίας, περὶ ἃς ἀνάλογόν εἰσιν αἱ πλευραί: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.
If two triangles have one angle equal to one angle, the sides about other angles proportional, and the remaining angles either both less or both not less than a right angle, the triangles will be equiangular and will have those angles equal, the sides about which are proportional. Let ABC, DEF be two triangles having one angle equal to one angle, the angle BAC to the angle EDF, the sides about other angles ABC, DEF proportional, so that, as AB is to BC, so is DE to EF, and, first, each of the remaining angles at C, F less than a right angle; I say that the triangle ABC is equiangular with the triangle DEF, the angle ABC will be equal to the angle DEF, and the remaining angle, namely the angle at C, equal to the remaining angle, the angle at F. For, if the angle ABC is unequal to the angle DEF, one of them is greater. Let the angle ABC be greater; and on the straight line AB, and at the point B on it, let the angle ABG be constructed equal to the angle DEF. [I. 23] Then, since the angle A is equal to D, and the angle ABG to the angle DEF, therefore the remaining angle AGB is equal to the remaining angle DFE. [I. 32] Therefore the triangle ABG is equiangular with the triangle DEF. Therefore, as AB is to BG, so is DE to EF [VI. 4] But, as DE is to EF, so by hypothesis is AB to BC; therefore AB has the same ratio to each of the straight lines BC, BG; [V. 11] therefore BC is equal to BG, [V. 9] so that the angle at C is also equal to the angle BGC. [I. 5] But, by hypothesis, the angle at C is less than a right angle; therefore the angle BGC is also less than a right angle; so that the angle AGB adjacent to it is greater than a right angle. [I. 13] And it was proved equal to the angle at F; therefore the angle at F is also greater than a right angle. But it is by hypothesis less than a right angle : which is absurd. Therefore the angle ABC is not unequal to the angle DEF; therefore it is equal to it. But the angle at A is also equal to the angle at D; therefore the remaining angle at C is equal to the remaining angle at F. [I. 32] Therefore the triangle ABC is equiangular with the triangle DEF. But, again, let each of the angles at C, F be supposed not less than a right angle; I say again that, in this case too, the triangle ABC is equiangular with the triangle DEF. For, with the same construction, we can prove similarly that BC is equal to BG; so that the angle at C is also equal to the angle BGC. [I. 5] But the angle at C is not less than a right angle; therefore neither is the angle BGC less than a right angle. Thus in the triangle BGC the two angles are not less than two right angles: which is impossible. [I. 17] Therefore, once more, the angle ABC is not unequal to the angle DEF; therefore it is equal to it. But the angle at A is also equal to the angle at D; therefore the remaining angle at C is equal to the remaining angle at F. [I. 32] Therefore the triangle ABC is equiangular with the triangle DEF.