Book IX, Proposition 4

If a cube number by multiplying a cube number make some number, the product will be cube.

Ἐὰν κύβος ἀριθμὸς κύβον ἀριθμὸν πολλαπλασιάσας ποιῇ τινα, ὁ γενόμενος κύβος ἔσται. Κύβος γὰρ ἀριθμὸς ὁ Α κύβον ἀριθμὸν τὸν Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ ποιείτω: λέγω, ὅτι ὁ Γ κύβος ἐστίν. Ὁ γὰρ Α ἑαυτὸν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ ποιείτω: ὁ Δ ἄρα κύβος ἐστίν. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ Α ἑαυτὸν μὲν πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Δ πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ Β πολλαπλασιάσας τὸν Γ πεποίηκεν, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ Α πρὸς τὸν Β, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν Γ. καὶ ἐπεὶ οἱ Α, Β κύβοι εἰσίν, ὅμοιοι στερεοί εἰσιν οἱ Α, Β. τῶν Α, Β ἄρα δύο μέσοι ἀνάλογον ἐμπίπτουσιν ἀριθμοί: ὥστε καὶ τῶν Δ, Γ δύο μέσοι ἀνάλογον ἐμπεσοῦνται ἀριθμοί. καί ἐστι κύβος ὁ Δ: κύβος ἄρα καὶ ὁ Γ: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι.

If a cube number by multiplying a cube number make some number, the product will be cube. For let the cube number A by multiplying the cube number B make C; I say that C is cube. For let A by multiplying itself make D; therefore D is cube. [IX. 3] And, since A by multiplying itself has made D, and by multiplying B has made C therefore, as A is to B, so is D to C. [VII. 17] And, since A, B are cube numbers, A, B are similar solid numbers. Therefore two mean proportional numbers fall between A, B; [VIII. 19] so that two mean proportional numbers will fall between D, C also. [VIII. 8]

index prev next | digilib folio 166