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Lebesgue Outer Measure

by | Nov 21, 2021 | Math Learning

Introduction:

The Riemann integral of a bounded function over a closed, bounded interval is defined using approximations of the function that are associated with partitions of its domain into finite collections of subintervals. The generalization of the Riemann integral to the Lebesgue integral will be achieved by using approximations of the function that are associated with decompositions of its domain into finite collections of sets which we call Lebesgue measurable. Each interval is Lebesgue measurable. The richness of the collection of Lebesgue measurable sets provides better upper and lower approximations of a function, and therefore of its integral than are possible by just employing intervals. This leads to a larger class of functions that are Lebesgue integrable over very general domains and an integral that has better properties. For instance, under quite general circumstances we will prove that if a sequence of functions converges point-wise to a limiting function, then the integral of the limit function is the limit of the integrals of the approximating functions.

Motivation:

One of the primary motivations for developing a theory has to do with the failure of the theory of Riemann integration to behave nicely undertaking point-wise limits of functions. In particular, it is well-known that point-wise convergence of a sequence of functions does not translate to the interchange of limits and integrals; for example, if [f_{n}(x)=begin{cases} 1, ;;; & text{when } xin [n,n+1] \ 0, ;;; & text{otherwise } end{cases}] then as nto infty, f_{n} converges pointwise to the zero function.

If we take its integral, <strong>[int_{-infty}^{infty}f_{n}(x)dx=1] Which leads to [lim_{ntoinfty}int_{-infty}^{infty}f_{n}(x)dx=1] But [int_{-infty}^{infty}lim_{ntoinfty}f_{n}(x)dx=0]. This inability to interchange a limit and an integral can be extremely inconvenient. One can interchange a limit and Riemann integration under certain circumstances like uniform convergence, but this is usually far too restrictive of a condition. What measure-theoretic integration gives you is a way to do this interchange provided we, have point-wise convergence and much weaker conditions than uniform convergence; in exchange, it forces us to throw out sets of measure zero. In addition, once the theory is developed we suddenly have extremely powerful tools to take limits of integrals you did not have before (Lebesgue dominated convergence theorem). So we have two main motivations to make a rich theory

  1. To integrate more functions (Like Dirichlet Function )
  2. To make space this is completely integrable.

There are more motivations like

  1. Interchanging limits and integrals (e.g. the limit of a sequence of continuous functions may not be Riemann integrable)
  2. Length of Curves (finding the length of curves that are only rectifiable, not continuously differentiable), etc.

Definition:

To define Lebesgue Measure on a set we need some precious definitions and some important functions and classes or collections of subsets of mathbb{R}.

Length Function:

Let mathbb{g} denote the collection of all intervals of mathbb{R}. If an interval Iinmathbb{g} has endpoints a and b we write it as I (a, b). By convention, the open interval (a,a)=0 ;; forall ainmathbb{R}. . Let [0,+infty[=lbrace xinmathbb{R}^{*},:, xgeq 0rbrace=[0,+infty)cuplbraceinftyrbrace. Define the function lambda:; mathbb{g}tomathbb{R}^{*} by [lambda((a,b))=begin{cases} vert b-avert, ;;; & text{if } a,bin mathbb{R} \ +infty, ;;; & text{if either } a=-infty text{ or } b=+infty text{ or both} end{cases}] This lambda is called length function defined on mathbb{g}.

Properties of Set Function:

  1. lambda(emptyset)=0
  2. lambda is monotonic i.e. lambda(I)leqlambda(J) text{ when } Isubseteq J
  3. lambda is finitely additive.

Let Iin mathbb{g} be such that displaystyle I=cup_{i=1}^{n}J_{i} where J_{m}cap J_{n}neqemptyset for mneq n Then [lambda(I)=sum_{i=1}^{n}lambda(J_{i}) ]

  1. lambda is finitely sub-additive.

Let Iinmathcal{I} be such that displaystyle Isubseteq bigcup_{i=1}^{n}J_{i}  Then [lambda(I)leq sum_{i=1}^{n}lambda(J_{i}) ]

  1. lambda is countable additive .

Let Iin mathcal{I}  be such that displaystyle I= bigcup_{i=1}^{infty}J_{i} where J_{m}cap J_{n}neq emptyset for mneq n Then [lambda(I)= sum_{i=1}^{infty}lambda(J_{i}) ]

  1. lambda is countable sub-additive .

Let Iin mathcal{I} be such that Isubseteq bigcup_{i=1}^{infty}J_{i} where Then [lambda(I)leq sum_{i=1}^{infty}lambda(J_{i}) ]

  1. Translation Invariance

[lambda(I)=lambda(I+x),] For every Iinmathbb{g} and xinmathbb{R}.

Algebra on a set:

Let X be any non-empty set and let mathcal{C} a collection of subsets of X. Then the collection mathcal{C} is called an algebra of subsets of X if  mathcal{C} satisfies following properties:

  1. emptyset, X inmathcal{C}
  2. Acap Bin mathcal{C} whenever A,Binmathcal{C}
  3. A^{c}inmathcal{C} whenever Ainmathcal{C}

Then mathcal{C} is called Algebra on X.

sigma- Algebra on a set:

Let X be any non-empty set and let mathcal{S} a collection of subsets of X. Then the collection mathcal{S} is called an sigma-Algebra of subsets of X if  mathcal{S} satisfies following properties:-

  1. emptyset, X inmathcal{S}
  2. A^{c}inmathcal{S} whenever Ainmathcal{S}
  3. cup_{i=1}^{n} A_{i}inmathcal{S} for A_{i}inmathcal{S};;; i=1,2,3,cdotscdotscdots

Then mathcal{S} is called sigma-Algebra on X.

Definition of Lebesgue Measure:

Def:- For every subsets A of mathbb{R}, the Lebesgue Outer Measure of A, denoted by mathit{m}^{*}(A), is defined by [displaystylemathit{m}^{*}(A)=infleftlbracesum_{i=1}^{infty}lambda(I_{i}):Asubsetbigcup_{i=1}^{n}I_{i}rightrbrace] Where lbrace I_{n}rbrace varies over all possible sequence of open intervals of mathbb{R} whose union contains A.

Properties of Lebesgue Outer Measure:

The Lebesgue Outer Measure is generated by length function which is defined on earlier so it’s preserves some of their properties.

  1. mathit{m}^{*}(emptyset)=0
  2. mathit{m}<u>^{*}</u> is monotonic i.e. mathit{m}^{*}(I)leqmathit{m}^{*}(J) text{ when } Isubseteq J
  3. mathit{m}^{*} is finitely sub-additive .

Let Iinmathcal{I} be such that Isubseteqbigcup_{i=1}^{n}J_{i} Then [mathit{m}^{*}(I)leq sum_{i=1}^{n}mathit{m}^{*}(J_{i}) ]

  1. mathit{m}^{*} is countable sub-additive .

Let Iinmathcal{I} be such that Isubseteqbigcup_{i=1}^{infty}J_{i} where Then [mathit{m}^{*}(I)leq sum_{i=1}^{infty}mathit{m}^{*}(J_{i}) ]

  1. Translation Invariance

[mathit{m}^{*}(I)=mathit{m}^{*}(I+x),] For every Iinmathbb{g} and xinmathbb{R}. Now we already noticed that mathit{m}^{*} hasn’t had the properties of finitely additive and not countable additive (why?) A Vitali* Set in [0,1], has a positive measure Specifically, let oplus denote translation. (textit{That is, for Asubset [0,1] and xin [0,1] let A oplus x =lbrace a+x, a+x-1:ain Arbracecap[0,1]}.) Note that outer measure mathit{m}^{*} is invariant under translation, so [mathit{m}^{*}(Aoplus x)=mathit{m}^{*}(A)] Now let V be a Vitali set, and let q_{1},q_{2},ldots be an enumeration of the rationals in [0,1]. By construction of V, the sets Voplus q_{1}, Voplus q_{2}, ldots are pair wise disjoints and their union is [0, 1]. By countable sub-additively we have

    \[1=mathit{m}^{*}([0,1])leqsum_{n}mathit{m}^{*}(Voplus q_{n})=sum_{n}mathit{m}^{*}(V)=mathit{m}^{*}([0,1])\]

In particular we must have mathit{m}^{*}(V)>0 So we can find an integer mathbb{N} sufficiently large that [N.mathit{m}^{*}(V)>1, text{ For } n=1,ldots,N], Let E_{n}=Voplus q_{n}. Then the sets E_{n} are pair wise disjoint, and since E_{n}subset[0,1] We have [E=bigcup_{n=1}^{N}E_{n}]. Hence by monotonicity, mathit{m}^{*}(E)leq mathit{m}^{*}([0,1])=1. On the other hand, [sum_{n=1}^{N}mathit{m}^{*}(E_{n})=sum_{n=1}^{N}mathit{m}^{*}(Voplus q_{n})=sum_{n=1}^{N}mathit{m}^{*}(V)=N.mathit{m}^{*}(V)>1.] So we have [mathit{m}^{*}(E)<sum_{n=1}^{N}mathit{m}^{*}(E_{n})] So we saw that mathit{m}^{*} is not finitely additive and it is also not countable sub-additive. Vitali: An elementary example of a set of real numbers which is not Lebesgue measurable. Definition: Measurable Set(Carathéodory Condition): A set Esubsetmathbb{R} is said to be Lebesgue-Measurable if [mathit{m}^{*}(A)=mathit{m}^{*}(Acap E)+mathit{m}^{*}(Acap E^{c}) text{ for all } Asubset mathbb{R}] This Condition is known as Carathéodory Condition.  

Properties of Measurable set in R

  1. If E is Lebesgue Measurable then E^{c} also Lebesgue Measurable set in mathbb{R}
  2. mathbb{R} and emptyset are Lebesgue Measurable
  3. Every Interval in mathbb{R} is Lebesgue Measurable.
  4. Every countable set is Lebesgue Measurable with measure zero i.e.

If B is a countable set in mathbb{R} then [mathit{m}^{*}(B)=0.]

  1. Every uncountable set has a non-zero measure (except Cantor Set)
  2. Every Borel* set is Lebesgue Measurable.

(Borel Set: Collection of all F_{sigma} and G_{delta} sets) Definition: Class mathcal{M}:- Collection of all Lebesgue Measurable sets in mathbb{R}. [mathcal{M}=lbrace E; : ; text{E is Lebesgue meusurable in }mathbb{R}; Esubseteqmathbb{R} rbrace] This Collection mathcal{M} is a sigma-Algebra and it is the largest measurable sigma-Algebra over mathbb{R} and (mathbb{R},mathcal{M},mathit{m}^{*})  is called Measure Space which we want to achive.

Conclusion:

Now we got a new developed theory on subsets of mathbb{R} and we can now use the theory to integrate those kinds of functions which we can’t integrate by using Riemann Integration. Also, we can use the theory to find the length of those kinds of curves which is not continuously differentiable on mathbb{R} and we can use to find the integration over rationalize functions too. This rich theory gave us more freedom to apply on the space or subsets in mathbb{R}.

Bibliography: 

  1. Yeh ; Real Analysis
  2. Robert G. Bartle; The Elements of Integration and Lebesgue Measure.
  3. Sheldon Axler; Measure, Integration, and Real Analysis.

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