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Subject: "Pythagorean themorem"     Previous Topic | Next Topic
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maciejmad
Member since Jul-8-10
Jul-08-10, 11:37 AM (EST)
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"Pythagorean themorem"
 
   I'm math teacher in high school in Poland. Old mathematical books, ancient mathematics is my love which fill my spare time since many years. In one of my book (famous in Poland, by Szczepan Jeleński: ¦ladami Pitagorasa, ISBN 83-02-02857-6) I find this (Sorry for my translation):

"Euclid in his Elements (Book I) quotes eight ways which we quote here as a pictures believing that many of the readers with interest will add to them arithmetics."

You can see these pictures in file I attached to this letter.


So the point is, that by Jeleński we should have eight proofs of Pythagorean Theorem in Book I of Elements, but in edition by Green Lion I see only one proof of Proposition 47, Book I. I don't believe, that there's a mistake in Jeleński's book. I found one of eight proofs mentioned by Jeleński in this translation of Euclid Element's: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/21076/21076-pdf.pdf (please see page 44). Can You help with my problem? I've searched all possible sources (libraries, internet etc.) for weeks without any result. Any suggestions? Maybe It all about translation of Element's?

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alexbadmin
Charter Member
2530 posts
Jul-08-10, 11:57 AM (EST)
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1. "RE: Pythagorean themorem"
In response to message #0
 
   There is no doubt that Elements contain exactly two proofs: I.47 and VI.31.

Casey's edition adds a proof to I.47 with a remark that the proof admits 8 variants depending on the orientation of the attached squares. You may observe that this proof and the remark come in a smaller font which is a clear indication that they have been added by Casey himself. Casey's edition contains a multitude of exercises which are obviously not a part of the original Elements.

The picture you attached shows exactly 8 variants mentioned by Casey, and, again, none of them comes from the original.

In a similar vein, Sir Thomas Heath edition of the Elements contains a few extra proofs and a discourse on the Pythagorean triples.

Now, may I ask you a favor. I like that picture you attached very much and would like to include it at my site with Casey's proof. Could you please make it again by flattening the left (in the picture) page a little more. Thank you.


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