Curvilinear Triangles Equal to Any Rectilinear Triangle
Equal sectors (1/8 of 4, 1/16 of 8) and a general method for squarable curved triangles
Leonardo compares two equal circular sectors — a b, an eighth of a circle of 4, and d, a sixteenth of a circle of 8, the two circles being double one another — and by removing the shared portion c shows a b equal to d. Removing further equal parts leaves one squarable piece and a curvilinear triangle of two arcs of unequal curvature, which is therefore also squarable, and he notes that infinitely many such can be made. A second construction gives a general method: between two parallel lines through the base and apex, build a rectilinear triangle a b f, then swap a circular portion b e c to a d c to produce a curvilinear triangle equal to any given irregular triangle. Labelled sector and triangle diagrams, marked with the fractions 1/8 and 1/16 and the circles 4 and 8, accompany the text.
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Equal sectors from circles in double proportion
Two circular sectors are of equal quantity: a b is 1/8 of a circle of 4, and d is 1/16 of a circle of 8, the circles being double one another. Removing the shared portion c from each leaves equal remainders, so a b equals d.
A general construction: curvilinear triangle equal to any rectilinear one
Between two parallel lines — one through the base, one touching the apex — a second triangle is built on the same base. Removing a circular portion from one side and replacing it on the opposite side turns rectilinear triangle a b f into a curvilinear triangle equal to any given irregular triangle, as portion b e c is swapped to a d c.
