Book V, Proposition 11

Ratios which are the same with the same ratio are also the same with one another.

Οἱ τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ ἀλλήλοις εἰσὶν οἱ αὐτοί. Ἔστωσαν γὰρ ὡς μὲν τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, ὡς δὲ τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, οὕτως τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ: λέγω, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ. Εἰλήφθω γὰρ τῶν Α, Γ, Ε ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Η, Θ, Κ, τῶν δὲ Β, Δ, Ζ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Λ, Μ, Ν. Καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, καὶ εἴληπται τῶν μὲν Α, Γ ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Η, Θ, τῶν δὲ Β, Δ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Λ, Μ, εἰ ἄρα ὑπερέχει τὸ Η τοῦ Λ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τὸ Θ τοῦ Μ, καὶ εἰ ἴσον ἐστίν, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἐλλείπει, ἐλλείπει. πάλιν, ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς τὸ Γ πρὸς τὸ Δ, οὕτως τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ, καὶ εἴληπται τῶν Γ, Ε ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Θ, Κ, τῶν δὲ Δ, Ζ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια τὰ Μ, Ν, εἰ ἄρα ὑπερέχει τὸ Θ τοῦ Μ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τὸ Κ τοῦ Ν, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἔλαττον. ἀλλὰ εἰ ὑπερεῖχε τὸ Θ τοῦ Μ, ὑπερεῖχε καὶ τὸ Η τοῦ Λ, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἔλαττον: ὥστε καὶ εἰ ὑπερέχει τὸ Η τοῦ Λ, ὑπερέχει καὶ τὸ Κ τοῦ Ν, καὶ εἰ ἴσον, ἴσον, καὶ εἰ ἔλαττον, ἔλαττον. καί ἐστι τὰ μὲν Η, Κ τῶν Α, Ε ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια, τὰ δὲ Λ, Ν τῶν Β, Ζ ἄλλα, ἃ ἔτυχεν, ἰσάκις πολλαπλάσια: ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς τὸ Α πρὸς τὸ Β, οὕτως τὸ Ε πρὸς τὸ Ζ. Οἱ ἄρα τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ ἀλλήλοις εἰσὶν οἱ αὐτοί: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.

Ratios which are the same with the same ratio are also the same with one another. For, as A is to B, so let C be to D, and, as C is to D, so let E be to F; I say that, as A is to B, so is E to F. For of A, C, E let equimultiples G, H, K be taken, and of B, D, F other, chance, equimultiples L, M, N. Then since, as A is to B, so is C to D, and of A, C equimultiples G, H have been taken, and of B, D other, chance, equimultiples L, M, therefore, if G is in excess of L, H is also in excess of M, if equal, equal, and if less, less. Again, since, as C is to D, so is E to F, and of C, E equimultiples H, K have been taken, and of D, F other, chance, equimultiples M, N, therefore, if H is in excess of M, K is also in excess of N, if equal, equal, and if less, less. But we saw that, if H was in excess of M, G was also in excess of L; if equal, equal; and if less, less; so that, in addition, if G is in excess of L, K is also in excess of N, if equal, equal, and if less, less. And G, K are equimultiples of A, E, while L, N are other, chance, equimultiples of B, F; therefore, as A is to B, so is E to F.

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