Ratio, proportion and variation

(Terms are considered to be positive, and can be extended to negative in some of the statements below.)

a c
=
b d

1.

a:b=c:d

2.

Cross multiplication:

3.

a
b > 1
a
<1
b

4.

a c
a b
= =
b d
c d

(Alterando)

a c
b d
= =
b d
a c

(Invertendo)

a c
a+b c+d
=
=
b d
b
d

(Compoendo)

a c
a b cd
=
=
b d
b
d

(Dividendo)

a c
a+b c+d
=
=
b d
a b cd

(Compoendo et Dividendo)

5.

a a+x
>
b b+x
a a+x
<
b b+x

a ax
<
b bx
a ax
>
b bx

, a > x > 0,

b > x > 0.

Equal Ratios Theorems

a
a1 a 2
=
= ... = n = k
b1 b 2
bn

k=

a1 + a 2 + ... + a n
,
b1 + b 2 + ... + b n

a
a1 a 2
=
= ... = n = k
b1 b 2
bn

k=

m1a 1 + m 2 a 2 + ... + m n a n
,
m1b1 + m 2 b 2 + ... + m n b n

m a p + m 2 a 2 p + ... + m n a n p
k = 1 1p
p
p
m1b1 + m 2 b 2 + ... + m n b n

b1 + b 2 + ... + b n 0

where

where

m1b1 + m 2 b 2 + ... + m n b n 0

1/ p

where m1b1 + m 2 b 2 + ... + m n b n 0

p

Unequal Ratios Theorem

a1 a 2
a
<
< ... < n
b1 b 2
bn

7.

a 1 : b 1 : c1 = a 2 : b 2 : c 2

8.

Continued proportion

9.

ad = bc
a
b > 1
a
<1
b

, a, b, x > 0.

a
a1 a 2
=
= ... = n = k
b1 b 2
bn

6.

a:b=c:d

a 1 a 1 + a 2 + ... + a n a n
,
<
<
b1 b1 + b 2 + ... + b n b n

a 1 b1 c1
=
=
a 2 b2 c2

where

a1, a2, ..., an ; b1, b2, , bn > 0

a 1 = ka 2

b1 = kb 2
c = kc
2
1

a:b=b:c

a : c = a2 : b2 = b2 ; c2

a:b=b:c=c:d

a : d = a3 : b3 = b3 : c3 = c3 : d3

Rule of Cross Multiplication

x
a 1 x + b 1 y + c1 z = 0

a 2 x + b 2 y + c 2 z = 0

b1
b2

c1
c2

a1
a2

b1
b2

x
y
z
=
=
b 1 c 2 b 2 c1 c1 a 2 c 2 a 1 a 1 b 2 a 2 b 1
1

10.

Direct variation
x y x = ky

k>0
x 1 y1
=
x 2 y2

-2

11.

Inverse variation
x

k<0
y
2

y
2

-1

-2

-1

-1

-1

-2

-2

10

k<0

k>0

1
k
x=
x 1 y1 = x 2 y 2
y
y

15

-10

-5

10

15

-10

-5

-5

x yz x = kyz

12.

Joint variation

13.

x y, when z is kept constant and x z

14.

Partial variation

when

-5

x 1 y1 z 1
=
x 2 y2z2

x yz

y is kept constant

x is partly constant and partly varies directly as y

x is partly varies directly as

y and partly varies directly as z

x = k1y + k2z

x is partly varies directly as

y and partly varies inversely as z

x = k1y +

x = k1 + k2y

k2
z

x y and y z x z

15.

Transitive law:

16.

x yz

17.

x z and y z

(x y) z

18.

x z and y z

xy z2

19.

a : b = ka : kb =

20.

x y and z w

xz yw

21.

x y and z w

x
y

z w

22.

xy

x
z
y

a b
:
, k 0.
k k

(ax + by) (cx + dy)

(a, b) , (c , d) (0, 0)