Dividing a Circular Portion into Equal, Similar Parts
Sectors and semicircles, a proof leaning on Euclid's Elements, and reducing a sector to equal angles
The verso continues the study of circular portions, dominated by a large semicircle in which Leonardo proves that a portion of a circle can be divided infinitely into parts both similar in shape and equal in size. Around it he sets sectors in sixteenfold proportion, states that triangles on equal bases and heights are equal, and shows a right-angled sector reduced to equal angles. His proofs repeatedly appeal to propositions of the 'Elements of geometry.'
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A circular portion divided into four similar, equal parts
Taking the portion acb, Leonardo halves it with cd, then halves cdb again by drawing the chord cb and the perpendicular eh. To make the parts similar and not merely equal he draws dS parallel to chb, forms the parallelogram cbdS, cuts it with ef running to the centre, and builds triangle cbg equal to cdb, citing the Elements. He concludes the greatest portion is split into 4 parts similar in figure and equal in quantity.
Portions in sixteenfold proportion
Of portions in sixteenfold proportion, the sixteenth part of the greater is worth the whole of the lesser. It follows that the sector d, being that sixteenth part, equals the portion b, and therefore the portions cd are worth the two sectors ab.
Triangles on equal base and height are equal
A single-line theorem states that all triangles built on an equal base with equal heights, converging to one same point, are equal among themselves. It underwrites the area-preserving moves used throughout the sheet.
Reducing a right-angled sector to equal angles
Given that the sector adbg is right-angled and is to be reduced to equal angles, Leonardo draws ab parallel to fg and carries the angle g to position c beneath the middle of arc ab at point d, producing equal angles. Two small figures accompany the construction.
