IN WHICH THE CORRECTIONS OF DR SIMSON ARE GENERALLY ADOPTED, BUT

THE ERRORS OVERLOOKED BY HIM ARE CORRECTED, AND THE

OBSCURITIES OF HIS AND OTHER EDITIONS EXPLAINED.

ALSO,

SOME OF EUCLID'S DEMONSTRATIONS ARE RESTORED, OTHERS MADE
SHORTER AND MORE GENERAL, AND SEVERAL USEFUL

PROPOSITIONS ARE ADDED.

TOGETHER WITH

E LE M E N T S

OF

PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY,

AND

A TREATISE ON PRACTICAL GEOMETRY.

BY ALEXANDER INGRAM, PHILOMATH.

EDINBURGH:

PRINTED BY J. PILLANS & SONS;
AND SOLD BY W. CREECH, EDINBURGH; W. COKE, LEITH ; J. BURNET;
ABERDEEN ; J. SCATCHERD, LONDON ; W. JONES, LIVERPOOL ;

R, & E. MERCIER, DUBLIN; AND W. MAGEE, BELFAST.

Brves 9-22-13

30807

DR SIMSON's

PRE FACE.

HER

THE

'E-9-2

'HE opinions of the Moderns, concerning

the Author of the Elements of Geometry, which

go

under Euclid's name, are very different, and contrary to one another. Peter Ramus é ascribes the Propositions, as well as their Demon

strations, to Theon; others think the Propositions to be Euclid's, but that the Demonstrations are Theon's; and others maintain, that all the Propositions and their Demonstrations are Euclid's own. John Buteo and Sir Henry. Savile are the authors of greatest note who affert this last, and the greater part of Geometers have ever since been of this opinion, as they thought it the most probable. Sir Henry Savile, after the several arguments he brings to prove it, makes this conclusion, (p. 13. Prælect.)

(p. 13. Prælect.) “ That, excepting a very few Interpolations, Explications, and Additions, Theon altered nothing in Euclid.”

But,

а

But, by often considering and comparing together the Definitions and Demonstrations, as they are in the Greek editions we now have, I found that Theon, or whoever was the Editor of the present Greek text, by adding some things, suppressing others, and mixing his own with Euclid's Demonstrations, had changed more things to the worse than is commonly supposed, and those not of small moment, especially in the Fifth and Eleventh Books of the Elements, which this Editor has greatly vitiated; for instance, by substituting a shorter, but in sufficient Demonstration of the i8th Proposition of the 5th Book, in place of the legitimate one which Euclid had given; and by taking out of this Book, besides other things, the good Definition which Eudoxus or Euclid had given of Compound Ratio, and giving an absurd one in place of it, in the 5th Definition of the 6th Book, which neither Euclid, Archimedes, Appollonius, nor any Geometer before Theon's time, ever made use of, and of which there is not to be found the least appearance in any of their writings; and, as this Definition did much embarrass beginners, and is quite useless, it is now thrown out of the Elements, and another, which, without doubt, Euclid had given, is put in its proper place among the Definitions of the 5th Book, by which the doctrine of Compound Ratios is rendered plain and easy. Besides, among

the

the Definitions of the 11th Book, there is this, which is the roth, viz. “ Equal and fimilar solid

Figures are those which are contained by similar “ Planes of the same number and magnitude.” Now, this Propofition is a Theorem, not a Definition ; because the equality of figures of any kind must be demonstrated, and not assumed; and therefore, though this were a true Proposition, it ought to have been demonstrated. But, indeed, this Propofition, which makes the roth Definition of the 11th Book, is not true universally, except in the case in which each of the folid angles of the figures is contained by no more than three plane angles ; for, in other cases, two folid figures may be contained by similar planes of the fame number and magnitude, and yet be unequal to one another; as shall be made evident in the Notes subjoined to these Elements. In like manner, in the Demonstration of the 26th Propofition of the rith Book, it is taken for granted, that those folid angles are equal to one another which are contained by plane angles of the same number and magnitude, placed in the same order; but neither is this universally true, except in the case in which the folid angles are contained by no more than three plane angles ; nor of this case is there any Demonstration in the Elements we now have, though it be quite necessary there should be one. Now, upon the 10th Definition

of