Maximal bound for a nonnegative martingale (source code)

= Maximal bound for a nonnegative martingale
{title2=$\mathbb P(T_R<\infty)\leq\mathbb E M_0/R$}

For a nonnegative <martingale>, $T_R=\inf\{n:M_n\geq R\}$ satisfies $\mathbb P(T_R<\infty)\leq\mathbb E M_0/R$. Stop at $T_R\wedge n$ and use nonnegativity before passing to the increasing event. A limit of thresholds from below also gives the bound for $\{\sup_nM_n\geq R\}$ even when the supremum is not attained.