Category:Apotome
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This category contains results about Apotome.
Definitions specific to this category can be found in Definitions/Apotome.
Let $a, b \in \set {x \in \R_{>0} : x^2 \in \Q}$ be two rationally expressible numbers such that $a > b$.
Then $a - b$ is an apotome if and only if:
- $(1): \quad \dfrac a b \notin \Q$
- $(2): \quad \paren {\dfrac a b}^2 \in \Q$
where $\Q$ denotes the set of rational numbers.
In the words of Euclid:
- If from a rational straight line there be subtracted a rational straight line commensurable with the whole in square only, the remainder is irrational; and let it be called an apotome.