We construct the density and singular part, rather than assuming the desired Lebesgue decomposition theorem. Put , a finite dominating measure, and use the real Hilbert space . The linear functional
is well defined on its equivalence classes, since a -null set is -null. The Cauchy-Schwarz inequality and give
By the Riesz representation theorem, there is with . Indicators of all measurable sets belong to this Hilbert space, so
The nonnegativity of these two measures forces almost everywhere. For instance, if , its -measure would be negative; the analogous sets contradict positivity of . Their countable union excludes every violation. Modify on its measurable -null exceptional set so that these inequalities hold everywhere. This is the Hilbert-space construction of dominated measure densities.
Define
Then , is a nonnegative measurable function, and . The identity for integration against follows first for indicators, then for nonnegative simple functions and finally for all nonnegative functions by the monotone convergence theorem. Applying it to gives
In particular , so . Additivity on the disjoint measurable sets and now gives
This is the Lebesgue decomposition from a sum-measure density: the first measure has a density, and the second is concentrated on a -null set, so is mutually singular with .
The absolute continuity of measures condition means that implies for every . If this holds, then , eliminating the singular part above. Conversely, a measure of the form vanishes on every -null set. Therefore
Thus absolute continuity is exactly the absence of the singular part in this construction.
Construct the densities using the Riesz representation theorem for a Hilbert space, rather than assuming the measure-decomposition conclusion. Put , a finite dominating measure, and work in the real L2 space . The linear functional
is well-defined on its equivalence classes because . By the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality,
Thus the Riesz representation theorem supplies such that . Since is finite, is also integrable. Testing gives
The first identity and nonnegativity of rule out a positive-measure set where ; for example, test . The second identity and nonnegativity of similarly rule out . Modify a measurable representative on a -null set so that everywhere. This is the Hilbert-space construction of dominated measure densities.
Set
Then and . The indicator identities for extend to integrals of nonnegative measurable functions by approximation with simple functions and the monotone convergence theorem. Consequently,
and, for every ,
Hence
This proves Lebesgue decomposition from a sum-measure density. The argument includes the cases of zero measures; there is no division on , where the denominator vanishes.
Absolute continuity of measures, written , means that implies for every . If , then in the construction above, so the singular term vanishes. Conversely, if with a nonnegative integrable , that integral is zero on every -null set. Thus
This is the finite-measure Radon-Nikodym theorem as a consequence of the proved construction.
Finally restrict the base measure to the sub-sigma-algebra . For a real , write , with both parts nonnegative and integrable. On define finite positive measures
They are absolutely continuous with respect to . The result just proved gives nonnegative, -measurable densities satisfying
Set . Since , this is in , and subtraction gives
For complex , apply the real construction separately to its real and imaginary parts and combine the two results. This is conditional expectation from finite-measure densities. The resulting conditional expectation is unique almost everywhere: for two real versions, their difference has integral zero on its positive and negative level sets in , forcing it to vanish; apply this to both components in the complex case. No probability normalization of is required.