Book X, Proposition 72

If two medial areas incommensurable with one another be added together, the remaining two irrational straight lines arise, namely either a second bimedial or a side of the sum of two medial areas.

Δύο μέσων ἀσυμμέτρων ἀλλήλοις συντιθεμένων αἱ λοιπαὶ δύο ἄλογοι γίγνονται ἤτοι ἐκ δύο μέσων δευτέρα ἢ [ ἡ ] δύο μέσα δυναμένη. Συγκείσθω γὰρ δύο μέσα ἀσύμμετρα ἀλλήλοις τὰ ΑΒ, ΓΔ: λέγω, ὅτι ἡ τὸ ΑΔ χωρίον δυναμένη ἤτοι ἐκ δύο μέσων ἐστὶ δευτέρα ἢ δύο μέσα δυναμένη. Τὸ γὰρ ΑΒ τοῦ ΓΔ ἤτοι μεῖζόν ἐστιν ἢ ἔλασσον. ἔστω, εἰ τύχοι, πρότερον μεῖζον τὸ ΑΒ τοῦ ΓΔ: καὶ ἐκκείσθω ῥητὴ ἡ ΕΖ, καὶ τῷ μὲν ΑΒ ἴσον παρὰ τὴν ΕΖ παραβεβλήσθω τὸ ΕΗ πλάτος ποιοῦν τὴν ΕΘ, τῷ δὲ ΓΔ ἴσον τὸ ΘΙ πλάτος ποιοῦν τὴν ΘΚ. καὶ ἐπεὶ μέσον ἐστὶν ἑκάτερον τῶν ΑΒ, ΓΔ, μέσον ἄρα καὶ ἑκάτερον τῶν ΕΗ, ΘΙ. καὶ παρὰ ῥητὴν τὴν ΖΕ παράκειται πλάτος ποιοῦν τὰς ΕΘ, ΘΚ: ἑκατέρα ἄρα τῶν ΕΘ, ΘΚ ῥητή ἐστι καὶ ἀσύμμετρος τῇ ΕΖ μήκει. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἀσύμμετρόν ἐστι τὸ ΑΒ τῷ ΓΔ, καί ἐστιν ἴσον τὸ μὲν ΑΒ τῷ ΕΗ, τὸ δὲ ΓΔ τῷ ΘΙ, ἀσύμμετρον ἄρα ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ ΕΗ τῷ ΘΙ. ὡς δὲ τὸ ΕΗ πρὸς τὸ ΘΙ, οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ ΕΘ πρὸς ΘΚ: ἀσύμμετρος ἄρα ἐστὶν ἡ ΕΘ τῇ ΘΚ μήκει. αἱ ΕΘ, ΘΚ ἄρα ῥηταί εἰσι δυνάμει μόνον σύμμετροι: ἐκ δύο ἄρα ὀνομάτων ἐστὶν ἡ ΕΚ. ἤτοι δὲ ἡ ΕΘ τῆς ΘΚ μεῖζον δύναται τῷ ἀπὸ συμμέτρου ἑαυτῇ ἢ τῷ ἀπὸ ἀσυμμέτρου. δυνάσθω πρότερον τῷ ἀπὸ συμμέτρου ἑαυτῇ μήκει: καὶ οὐδετέρα τῶν ΕΘ, ΘΚ σύμμετρός ἐστι τῇ ἐκκειμένῃ ῥητῇ τῇ ΕΖ μήκει: ἡ ΕΚ ἄρα ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων ἐστὶ τρίτη. ῥητὴ δὲ ἡ ΕΖ: ἐὰν δὲ χωρίον περιέχηται ὑπὸ ῥητῆς καὶ τῆς ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων τρίτης, ἡ τὸ χωρίον δυναμένη ἐκ δύο μέσων ἐστὶ δευτέρα: ἡ ἄρα τὸ ΕΙ, τουτέστι τὸ ΑΔ, δυναμένη ἐκ δύο μέσων ἐστὶ δευτέρα. ἀλλὰ δὴ ἡ ΕΘ τῆς ΘΚ μεῖζον δυνάσθω τῷ ἀπὸ ἀσυμμέτρου ἑαυτῇ μήκει: καὶ ἀσύμμετρός ἐστιν ἑκατέρα τῶν ΕΘ, ΘΚ τῇ ΕΖ μήκει: ἡ ἄρα ΕΚ ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων ἐστὶν ἕκτη. ἐὰν δὲ χωρίον περιέχηται ὑπὸ ῥητῆς καὶ τῆς ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων ἕκτης, ἡ τὸ χωρίον δυναμένη ἡ δύο μέσα δυναμένη ἐστίν: ὥστε καὶ ἡ τὸ ΑΔ χωρίον δυναμένη ἡ δύο μέσα δυναμένη ἐστίν. [ Ὁμοίως δὴ δείξομεν, ὅτι κἂν ἔλαττον ᾖ τὸ ΑΒ τοῦ ΓΔ, ἡ τὸ ΑΔ χωρίον δυναμένη ἢ ἐκ δύο μέσων δευτέρα ἐστὶν ἤτοι δύο μέσα δυναμένη ]. Δύο ἄρα μέσων ἀσυμμέτρων ἀλλήλοις συντιθεμένων αἱ λοιπαὶ δύο ἄλογοι γίγνονται ἤτοι ἐκ δύο μέσων δευτέρα ἢ δύο μέσα δυναμένη. Ἡ ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων καὶ αἱ μετ' αὐτὴν ἄλογοι οὔτε τῇ μέσῃ οὔτε ἀλλήλαις εἰσὶν αἱ αὐταί. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ μέσης παρὰ ῥητὴν παραβαλλόμενον πλάτος ποιεῖ ῥητὴν καὶ ἀσύμμετρον τῇ παρ' ἣν παράκειται μήκει. τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων παρὰ ῥητὴν παραβαλλόμενον πλάτος ποιεῖ τὴν ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων πρώτην. τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκ δύο μέσων πρώτης παρὰ ῥητὴν παραβαλλόμενον πλάτος ποιεῖ τὴν ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων δευτέραν. τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκ δύο μέσων δευτέρας παρὰ ῥητὴν παραβαλλόμενον πλάτος ποιεῖ τὴν ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων τρίτην. τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς μείζονος παρὰ ῥητὴν παραβαλλόμενον πλάτος ποιεῖ τὴν ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων τετάρτην. τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ῥητὸν καὶ μέσον δυναμένης παρὰ ῥητὴν παραβαλλόμενον πλάτος ποιεῖ τὴν ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων πέμπτην. τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς δύο μέσα δυναμένης παρὰ ῥητὴν παραβαλλόμενον πλάτος ποιεῖ τὴν ἐκ δύο ὀνομάτων ἕκτην. τὰ δ' εἰρημένα πλάτη διαφέρει τοῦ τε πρώτου καὶ ἀλλήλων, τοῦ μὲν πρώτου, ὅτι ῥητή ἐστιν, ἀλλήλων δέ, ὅτι τῇ τάξει οὐκ εἰσὶν αἱ αὐταί: ὥστε καὶ αὐταὶ αἱ ἄλογοι διαφέρουσιν ἀλλήλων.

If two medial areas incommensurable with one another be added together, the remaining two irrational straight lines arise, namely either a second bimedial or a side of the sum of two medial areas. For let two medial areas AB, CD incommensurable with one another be added together; I say that the “side” of the area AD is either a second bimedial or a side of the sum of two medial areas. For AB is either greater or less than CD. First, if it so chance, let AB be greater than CD. Let the rational straight line EF be set out, and to EF let there be applied the rectangle EG equal to AB and producing EH as breadth, and the rectangle HI equal to CD and producing HK as breadth. Now, since each of the areas AB, CD is medial, therefore each of the areas EG, HI is also medial. And they are applied to the rational straight line FE, producing EH, HK as breadth; therefore each of the straight lines EH, HK is rational and incommensurable in length with EF. [X. 22] And, since AB is incommensurable with CD, and AB is equal to EG, and CD to HI, therefore EG is also incommensurable with HI. But, as EG is to HI, so is EH to HK; [VI. 1] therefore EH is incommensurable in length with HK. [X. 11] Therefore EH, HK are rational straight lines commensurable in square only; therefore EK is binomial. [X. 36] But the square on EH is greater than the square on HK either by the square on a straight line commensurable with EH or by the square on a straight line incommensurable with it. First, let the square on it be greater by the square on a straight line commensurable in length with itself. Now neither of the straight lines EH, HK is commensurable in length with the rational straight line EF set out; therefore EK is a third binomial. [X. Deff. II. 3] But EF is rational; and, if an area be contained by a rational straight line and the third binomial, the “side” of the area is a second bimedial; [X. 56] therefore the “side” of EI, that is, of AD, is a second bimedial. Next, let the square on EH be greater than the square on HK by the square on a straight line incommensurable in length with EH. Now each of the straight lines EH, HK is incommensurable in length with EF; therefore EK is a sixth binomial. [X. Deff. II. 6] But, if an area be contained by a rational straight line and the sixth binomial, the “side” of the area is the side of the sum of two medial areas; [X. 59] so that the “side” of the area AD is also the side of the sum of two medial areas.

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