Independence extended from generating pi-systems Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
If two pi-systems satisfy the probability factorization pairwise, their generated sigma-algebras are independent. For one event in the first family, the events in the second sigma-algebra satisfying the factorization form a Dynkin system; apply Dynkin lemma, then repeat with the roles reversed.
If is measure-preserving, equality holds on every measurable set and hence on the specified -system. Conversely, let . Both finite measures have equal total mass. Therefore , complements of members remain in by subtracting from the finite total mass, and disjoint countable unions remain in by countable additivity. Thus is a Dynkin system.
It contains the generating pi-system , so Dynkin lemma gives . Consequently
This is exactly the measure-preserving property.
Dynkin lemma, also called the pi-lambda theorem, states that if a Dynkin system contains a pi-system , then
Let be the smallest Dynkin system containing . It is enough to prove that is a sigma-algebra, because then
First fix and define
This is a Dynkin system. It contains because ; closure under relative complements follows from
and closure under disjoint unions follows by distributing over the union. Since is closed under intersections, . Minimality therefore gives
Thus whenever and .
Now fix and define
The same argument shows that is a Dynkin system, and the preceding paragraph shows that it contains . Hence . We have proved that is itself a pi-system.
A Dynkin system that is also a pi-system is a sigma-algebra: it is closed under arbitrary finite intersections, hence finite unions by complements, and any countable union can be disjointified before using closure under disjoint unions. Therefore , proving the lemma.
Fix and let
This is a Dynkin system. It contains . If , then
so it is closed under complements. Countable additivity gives closure under countable disjoint unions.
The hypothesis says . Since is a pi-system, Dynkin lemma yields
Thus the factorization holds for every and every .
Now fix such a and define
The identical calculation makes a Dynkin system. The first step gives , so a second application of Dynkin lemma gives
Therefore the probability factorization holds for every
which is precisely independence of the two sigma-algebras. This is independence extended from generating pi-systems.
Let . The limit from part (c) is -measurable because each is. If , then for some , and for every ,
The convergence lets us pass to the limit and obtain .
The sets on which this identity holds form a Dynkin system, and is a generating pi-system. The Dynkin lemma therefore extends the identity to every . Consequently has both defining properties of , established here without appealing to the general existence theorem.
The product measure is the unique probability measure on the sigma-algebra generated by measurable rectangles for which
Here the printed product notation denotes the generated product sigma-algebra, conventionally written ; it is not just the collection of rectangles. On it equals : coordinate projections show that rectangles are Borel sets, while open rectangles with rational endpoints give every open set as a countable union and hence generate the Borel sigma-algebra.
Existence is the product measure theorem for finite measures, which are in particular sigma-finite measures. Uniqueness follows because the rectangles form a pi-system generating the product sigma-algebra, and two finite measures agreeing there agree everywhere by the Dynkin lemma.[ref]
Fix and define
This is a Dynkin system: it contains ; taking complements preserves the equality because ; and countable additivity preserves it under disjoint unions. The hypothesis says that contains the pi-system . Hence Dynkin lemma gives .
Now fix any and put
The same complement and disjoint-union calculations make this a Dynkin system. The first step shows that it contains , so Dynkin lemma gives . Thus
This is precisely the definition of independent sigma-algebras, and proves independence extended from generating pi-systems.