Euclid's Elements, as software

Executable Euclid

Every proposition is a small program. It draws its own figure with a straightedge and compass, checks its own conclusion, and says what it depended on. Nothing is measured or approximated.

465propositions
7605steps checked
549dependency edges
2573unproved assumptions

The idea

A straightedge and compass can only produce certain numbers: the ones you reach from whole numbers by adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and taking square roots. This project stores those numbers exactly, as square roots piled on square roots, never as decimals.

That sounds like a small choice, but it changes what the machine can say. Two lengths are either equal or they are not; there is no rounding, no tolerance to set, and no near-miss that might be mistaken for a theorem. Everything else on this site follows from that.

What it found

All the findings in one place →

The propositions

Book I: Rectilinear figures — complete

I.1I.2I.3I.4I.5I.6I.7I.8I.9I.10I.11I.12I.13I.14I.15I.16I.17I.18I.19I.20I.21I.22I.23I.24I.25I.26I.27I.28I.29I.30I.31I.32I.33I.34I.35I.36I.37I.38I.39I.40I.41I.42I.43I.44I.45I.46I.47I.48

Book II: Geometric algebra — complete

II.1II.2II.3II.4II.5II.6II.7II.8II.9II.10II.11II.12II.13II.14

Book III: Circles — complete

III.1III.2III.3III.4III.5III.6III.7III.8III.9III.10III.11III.12III.13III.14III.15III.16III.17III.18III.19III.20III.21III.22III.23III.24III.25III.26III.27III.28III.29III.30III.31III.32III.33III.34III.35III.36III.37

Book IV: Inscribed and circumscribed figures — complete

IV.1IV.2IV.3IV.4IV.5IV.6IV.7IV.8IV.9IV.10IV.11IV.12IV.13IV.14IV.15IV.16

Book V: The theory of proportion — complete

V.1V.2V.3V.4V.5V.6V.7V.8V.9V.10V.11V.12V.13V.14V.15V.16V.17V.18V.19V.20V.21V.22V.23V.24V.25

Book VI: Similar figures — complete

VI.1VI.2VI.3VI.4VI.5VI.6VI.7VI.8VI.9VI.10VI.11VI.12VI.13VI.14VI.15VI.16VI.17VI.18VI.19VI.20VI.21VI.22VI.23VI.24VI.25VI.26VI.27VI.28VI.29VI.30VI.31VI.32VI.33

Book VII: Elementary number theory — complete

VII.1VII.2VII.3VII.4VII.5VII.6VII.7VII.8VII.9VII.10VII.11VII.12VII.13VII.14VII.15VII.16VII.17VII.18VII.19VII.20VII.21VII.22VII.23VII.24VII.25VII.26VII.27VII.28VII.29VII.30VII.31VII.32VII.33VII.34VII.35VII.36VII.37VII.38VII.39

Book VIII: Continued proportions — complete

VIII.1VIII.2VIII.3VIII.4VIII.5VIII.6VIII.7VIII.8VIII.9VIII.10VIII.11VIII.12VIII.13VIII.14VIII.15VIII.16VIII.17VIII.18VIII.19VIII.20VIII.21VIII.22VIII.23VIII.24VIII.25VIII.26VIII.27

Book IX: Numbers, primes and perfect numbers — complete

IX.1IX.2IX.3IX.4IX.5IX.6IX.7IX.8IX.9IX.10IX.11IX.12IX.13IX.14IX.15IX.16IX.17IX.18IX.19IX.20IX.21IX.22IX.23IX.24IX.25IX.26IX.27IX.28IX.29IX.30IX.31IX.32IX.33IX.34IX.35IX.36

Book X: Incommensurable magnitudes — complete

X.1X.2X.3X.4X.5X.6X.7X.8X.9X.10X.11X.12X.13X.14X.15X.16X.17X.18X.19X.20X.21X.22X.23X.24X.25X.26X.27X.28X.29X.30X.31X.32X.33X.34X.35X.36X.37X.38X.39X.40X.41X.42X.43X.44X.45X.46X.47X.48X.49X.50X.51X.52X.53X.54X.55X.56X.57X.58X.59X.60X.61X.62X.63X.64X.65X.66X.67X.68X.69X.70X.71X.72X.73X.74X.75X.76X.77X.78X.79X.80X.81X.82X.83X.84X.85X.86X.87X.88X.89X.90X.91X.92X.93X.94X.95X.96X.97X.98X.99X.100X.101X.102X.103X.104X.105X.106X.107X.108X.109X.110X.111X.112X.113X.114X.115

Book XI: Solid geometry — complete

XI.1XI.2XI.3XI.4XI.5XI.6XI.7XI.8XI.9XI.10XI.11XI.12XI.13XI.14XI.15XI.16XI.17XI.18XI.19XI.20XI.21XI.22XI.23XI.24XI.25XI.26XI.27XI.28XI.29XI.30XI.31XI.32XI.33XI.34XI.35XI.36XI.37XI.38XI.39

Book XII: Method of exhaustion — complete

XII.1XII.2XII.3XII.4XII.5XII.6XII.7XII.8XII.9XII.10XII.11XII.12XII.13XII.14XII.15XII.16XII.17XII.18

Book XIII: The regular solids — complete

XIII.1XIII.2XIII.3XIII.4XIII.5XIII.6XIII.7XIII.8XIII.9XIII.10XIII.11XIII.12XIII.13XIII.14XIII.15XIII.16XIII.17XIII.18

What “checked” means here

Each proposition is run on many different figures that fit its assumptions, and every step is tested exactly against the figure that was built. That is a strong test, but it is a test of the pictures, not a proof in Euclid's own logic. It confirms the conclusions are true of the constructions; it does not confirm they follow by his rules of reasoning.

The references each step cites are recorded, but the test does not rely on them. So a step with the wrong reference attached still cannot slip a false statement past.