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constanza del medio proporzionale

English translation: constancy of the mean proportional


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20:40 Jan 18, 2012
Italian to English translations [PRO]
Science - Architecture / Geometry Euclid
Italian term or phrase: constanza del medio proporzionale
This is the medio proporzionale as in the proof of Pythagoras' theorm by Euclid. And it is driving me mad. At eleven years old it was as easy as winky. I understand the basic concepts but I don't ever remember this precise term in English, just that the ratio of this is always equal to the ratio of that in congruent triangles.
This is the context (simple, sweet and concise as you can see):
"La consapevole applicazione in architettura del concetto di costanza del medio proporzionale, definitivamente posto in termini scientifici da Euclide nei suoi due teoremi relativi al triangolo rettangolo, consente non solo di fissare uno dei canoni principi fra i rapporti di proporzione (quello che Luca Pacioli chiamerà Divina Proporzione, che nell'Ottocento verrà nominato radice aurea e che Le Corbusier nel 1946 indicherà come modulor) ma di proporre mutue relazioni anche con la curva della crescita degli organismi viventi e con la matematica, dato che proprio la curva della crescita stessa non è altro, infatti, che la rappresentazione grafica della spirale logaritmica."
James (Jim) Davis
Italy
Local time: 01:50
English translation:constancy of the mean proportional
Explanation:
This is only based on a little investigation, not because I know for sure!

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Note added at 23 mins (2012-01-18 21:04:03 GMT)
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Well, maybe I just got lucky with my keywords...;)
Looks like an interesting job, best wishes, fionn
Selected response from:

fionn
Mexico
Local time: 18:50
Grading comment
Thanks again Fionn
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2constancy of the mean proportional
fionn


  

Answers


13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
constancy of the mean proportional


Explanation:
This is only based on a little investigation, not because I know for sure!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2012-01-18 21:04:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Well, maybe I just got lucky with my keywords...;)
Looks like an interesting job, best wishes, fionn

Example sentence(s):
  • Euclid VI.13 gives a geometric construction of the mean proportional:
  • The "mean proportional" is also known as the "Golden Section" and the "Golden Mean."

    Reference: http://www.cut-the-knot.org/pythagoras/GeometricMean.shtml
    Reference: http://www.tntpc.com/252/philalethes/p86oct.html
fionn
Mexico
Local time: 18:50
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks again Fionn
Notes to answerer
Asker: Great stuff Fionn thanks. Oh except for the "only based on a little investigation". I've been looking for this for 40 minutes now!! Anyway " a : p = p : b" is just exactly it, if I could have translated into maths instead of English I'd have been OK.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  EleoE
11 mins
  -> thank you!

agree  Mary Carroll Richer LaFlèche
10 hrs
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