 Triangular ergodic averaging lemma

Suppose $f_k\to f$ almost everywhere and ${\sup }_k|f_k|\in L^1$ in a probability measure-preserving system. Thenalmost everywhere and in $L^1$, where $\mathcal{I}$ is the invariant sigma-algebra. For the almost-everywhere assertion, bound the terms with index at least $M$ by ${\sup }_{k\ge M}|f_k-f|$, apply the Birkhoff ergodic theorem, and then let $M\to \infty$. The finitely many remaining end terms vanish by the linear growth bound for integrable observables.