In the last place. If one of the proportions, namely of A D to A B, be the proportion of excess, and another of them, as of A B to A C be the proportion of defect, thus also the proportion of A D to A C will be equal to the two proportions together taken of A D to A B, and of A B to A C. For the difference of the times in which AD and AB are described, is excess of time; for there goes more time to the description of A D than of A B; and the difference of the times in which A B and A C are described, is defect of time, for less time goes to the description of A B than of A C; but this excess and defect being added together, make D B - B C, which is equal to D C, by which the first A D exceeds the third A C; and therefore the proportions of the first A D to the second A B, and of the second A B to the third A C, are determined by the same cause which determines the proportion of the first A D to the third A C. Wherefore, if any three magnitudes, &c.
Coroll. I. If there be never so many magnitudes having proportion to one another, the proportion of the first to the last is compounded of the proportions of the first to the second, of the second to the third, and so on till you come to the last; or, the proportion of the first to the last is the same with the sum of all the intermediate proportions. For any number of magnitudes having proportion to one another, as A, B, C, D, E being propounded, the proportion of A to E, as is newly shown, is compounded of the proportions of A to D and of D to E; and again, the proportion of A to D, of the proportions of A to C, and of C to D; and lastly, the proportion of A to C, of the proportions of A to B, and of B to C.
Coroll. II. From hence it may be understood how any two proportions may be compounded. For if the proportions of A to B, and of C to D, be propounded to be added together, let B have to something else, as to E, the same proportion which C has to D, and let them be set in this order, A, B, E; for so the proportion of A to E will evidently be the sum of the two proportions of A to B, and of B to E, that is, of C to D. Or let it be as D to C, so A to something else, as to E, and let them be ordered thus, E, A, B; for the proportion of E to B will be compounded of the proportions of E to A, that is, of C to D, and of A to B. Also, it may be understood how one proportion may be taken out of another. For if the proportion of C to D be to be subtracted out of the proportion of A to B, let it be as C to D, so A to something else, as E, and setting them in this order, A, E, B, and taking away the proportion of A to E, that is, of C to D, there will remain the proportion of E to B.
Coroll. III. If there be two orders of magnitudes which have proportion to one another, and the several proportions of the first order be the same and equal in number with the proportions of the second order; then, whether the proportions in both orders be successively answerable to one another, which is called ordinate proportion, or not successively answerable, which is called perturbed proportion, the first and the last in both will be proportionals. For the proportion of the first to the last is equal to all the intermediate proportions; which being in both orders the same, and equal in number, the aggregates of those proportions will also be equal to one another; but to their aggregates, the proportions of the first to the last are equal; and therefore the proportion of the first to the last in one order, is the same with the proportion of the first to the last in the other order. Wherefore the first and the last in both are proportionals.
Composition of proportions.
14. If any two quantities be made of the mutual multiplication of many quantities, which have proportion to one another, and the efficient quantities on both sides be equal in number, the proportion of the products will be compounded of the several proportions, which the efficient quantities have to one another.
First, let the two products be A B and C D, whereof one is made of the multiplication of A into B, and the other of the multiplication of C into D. I say the proportion of A B to C D is compounded of the proportions of the efficient A to the efficient C, and of the efficient B to the efficient D. For let A B, C B and C D be set in order; and as B is to D, so let C be to another quantity as E; and let A, C, E be set also in order. |A B. A.
C B. C
C D. E| Then (by coroll. [IV]. of the 6th art.) it will be as A B the first quantity to C B the second quantity in the first order, so A to C in the second order; and again, as C B to C D in the first order, so B to D, that is, by construction, so C to E in the second order; and therefore (by the last corollary) A B. C D :: A. E will be proportionals. But the proportion of A to E is compounded of the proportions of A to C, and of B to D; wherefore also the proportion of A B to C D is compounded of the same.
Secondly, let the two products be A B F, and C D G, each of them made of three efficients, the first of A, B and F, and the second of C, D and G; I say, the proportion of A B F to C D G is compounded of the proportions of A to C, of B to D, and of F to G. For let them be set in order as before; and as B is to D, so let C be to another quantity E; and again, as F is to G, so let E be to another, H; and let the first order stand thus, ABF, CBF, CDF and CDG; |A B F. A.
C B F. C.
C D F. E.
C D G. H.| and the second order thus, A, C, E, H. Then the proportion of A B F to C B F in the first order, will be as A to C in the second; and the proportion of CBF to CDF in the first order, as B to D, that is, as C to E (by construction) in the second order; and the proportion of CDF to CDG in the first, as F to G, that is, as E to H (by construction) in the second order; and therefore A B F. C D G:: A. H will be proportionals. But the proportion of A to H is compounded of the proportions of A to C, B to D, and F to G. Wherefore the proportion of the product A B F to C D G is also compounded of the same. And this operation serves, how many soever the efficients be that make the quantities given.
From hence ariseth another way of compounding many proportions into one, namely, that which is supposed in the 5th definition of the 6th book of Euclid; which is, by multiplying all the antecedents of the proportions into one another, and in like manner all the consequents into one another. And from hence also it is evident, in the first place, that the cause why parallelograms, which are made by the duction of two straight lines into one another, and all solids which are equal to figures so made, have their proportions compounded of the proportions of the efficients; and in the second place, why the multiplication of two or more fractions into one another is the same thing with the composition of the proportions of their several numerators to their several denominators. For example, if these fractions 1⁄2, 2⁄3, 3⁄4 be to be multiplied into one another, the numerators 1, 2, 3, are first to be multiplied into one another, which make 6; and next the denominators 2, 3, 4, which make 24; and these two products make the fraction 6⁄24. In like manner, if the proportions of 1 to 2, of 2 to 3, and of 3 to 4, be to be compounded, by working as I have shown above, the same proportion of 6 to 24 will be produced.
15. If any proportion be compounded with itself inverted, the compound will be the proportion of equality. For let any proportion be given, as of A to B, and let the inverse of it be that of C to D; and as C to D, so let B be to another quantity; for thus they will be compounded (by the second coroll. of the 12th art.) Now seeing the proportion of C to D is the inverse of the proportion of A to B, it will be as C to D, so B to A; and therefore if they be placed in order, A, B, A, the proportion compounded of the proportions of A to B, and of C to D, will be the proportion of A to A, that is, the proportion of equality. And from hence the cause is evident why two equal products have their efficients reciprocally proportional. For, for the making of two products equal, the proportions of their efficients must be such, as being compounded may make the proportion of equality, which cannot be except one be the inverse of the other; for if betwixt A and A any other quantity, as C, be interposed, their order will be A, C, A, and the later proportion of C to A will be the inverse of the former proportion of A to C.