But A, D are prime, primes are also least, [VII. 21] and the least numbers measure those which have the same ratio the same number of times, the antecedent the antecedent and the consequent the consequent. [VII. 20] Therefore A measures B. And, as A is to B, so is B to C. Therefore B also measures C; so that A also measures C. And since, as B is to C, so is C to D, and B measures C, therefore C also measures D. But A measured C; so that A also measures D. But it also measures itself; therefore A measures A, D which are prime to one another : which is impossible. Therefore D will not be to any other number as A is to B. Q. E. D.
But A, D are prime, primes are also least, [VII. 21] and the least numbers measure those which have the same ratio the same number of times, the antecedent the antecedent and the consequent the consequent. [VII. 20] Therefore A measures B. And, as A is to B, so is B to C. Therefore B also measures C; so that A also measures C. And since, as B is to C, so is C to D, and B measures C, therefore C also measures D. But A measured C; so that A also measures D. But it also measures itself; therefore A measures A, D which are prime to one another : which is impossible. Therefore D will not be to any other number as A is to B. Q. E. D.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.