elem.10.27

Book X, Proposition 27

To find medial straight lines commensurable in square only which contain a rational rectangle.

Μέσας εὑρεῖν δυνάμει μόνον συμμέτρους ῥητὸν περιεχούσας. Ἐκκείσθωσαν δύο ῥηταὶ δυνάμει μόνον σύμμετροι αἱ Α, Β, καὶ εἰλήφθω τῶν Α, Β μέση ἀνάλογον ἡ Γ, καὶ γεγονέτω ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Β, οὕτως ἡ Γ πρὸς τὴν Δ. Καὶ ἐπεὶ αἱ Α, Β ῥηταί εἰσι δυνάμει μόνον σύμμετροι, τὸ ἄρα ὑπὸ τῶν Α, Β, τουτέστι τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Γ, μέσον ἐστίν. μέση ἄρα ἡ Γ. καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Β, [ οὕτως ] ἡ Γ πρὸς τὴν Δ, αἱ δὲ Α, Β δυνάμει μόνον [ εἰσὶ ] σύμμετροι, καὶ αἱ Γ, Δ ἄρα δυνάμει μόνον εἰσὶ σύμμετροι. καί ἐστι μέση ἡ Γ: μέση ἄρα καὶ ἡ Δ. αἱ Γ, Δ ἄρα μέσαι εἰσὶ δυνάμει μόνον σύμμετροι. λέγω, ὅτι καὶ ῥητὸν περιέχουσιν. ἐπεὶ γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Β, οὕτως ἡ Γ πρὸς τὴν Δ, ἐναλλὰξ ἄρα ἐστὶν ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Γ, ἡ Β πρὸς τὴν Δ. ἀλλ' ὡς ἡ Α πρὸς τὴν Γ, ἡ Γ πρὸς τὴν Β: καὶ ὡς ἄρα ἡ Γ πρὸς τὴν Β, οὕτως ἡ Β πρὸς τὴν Δ: τὸ ἄρα ὑπὸ τῶν Γ, Δ ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Β. ῥητὸν δὲ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Β: ῥητὸν ἄρα [ ἐστὶ ] καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν Γ, Δ. Εὕρηνται ἄρα μέσαι δυνάμει μόνον σύμμετροι ῥητὸν περιέχουσαι: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.

To find medial straight lines commensurable in square only which contain a rational rectangle. Let two rational straight lines A, B commensurable in square only be set out; let C be taken a mean proportional between A, B, [VI. 13] and let it be contrived that, as A is to B, so is C to D. [VI. 12] Then, since A, B are rational and commensurable in square only, the rectangle A, B, that is, the square on C [VI.17], is medial. [X. 21] Therefore C is medial. [X. 21] And since, as A is to B, so is C to D, and A, B are commensurable in square only, therefore C, D are also commensurable in square only. [X. 11] And C is medial; therefore D is also medial. [X. 23, addition] Therefore C, D are medial and commensurable in square only. I say that they also contain a rational rectangle. For since, as A is to B, so is C to D, therefore, alternately, as A is to C, so is B to D. [V. 16] But, as A is to C, so is C to B; therefore also, as C is to B, so is B to D; therefore the rectangle C, D is equal to the square on B. But the square on B is rational; therefore the rectangle C, D is also rational.