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The Radon-Nikodym theorem for positive measures says: if $\mu$ and $\nu$ are sigma-finite measures on the same measurable space, and $\nu$ is absolutely continuous with respect to $\mu$, then there is a nonnegative measurable function $g$, unique $\mu$-almost everywhere, such thatHere sigma-finiteness means that the space is a countable union of measurable sets of finite measure; absolute continuity of measures, written $\nu \ll \mu$, means that $\mu (E)=0$ implies $\nu (E)=0$. The function $g=d\nu /d\mu$ is the Radon-Nikodym derivative. For a finite signed or complex measure $\nu$ of finite total variation norm of a measure, absolutely continuous with respect to a sigma-finite $\mu$, the corresponding density belongs to $L^1(\mu )$. This follows by applying the positive theorem to the positive and negative parts of the real and imaginary parts of $\nu$.

For every measure space and $1<p<\infty$, $(L^p{)}^{\ast }$ is isometrically $L^q$, where $1/p+1/q=1$. We use the complex-linear pairingWith the convention $\int h\overline{g}$, the same identification is conjugate-linear in $g$. By Hölder's inequality, ${\Phi }_g$ is a bounded linear functional with $\Vert {\Phi }_g\Vert \le \Vert g{\Vert }_q$. If $g\ne 0$, setinterpreting the numerator as zero where $g=0$. The identity $(q-1)p=q$ gives $\Vert h{\Vert }_p=1$ and ${\Phi }_g(h)=\Vert g{\Vert }_q$. ThusIt remains to represent an arbitrary $\Phi \in (L^p{)}^{\ast }$, rather than merely produce functionals from $L^q$.

We prove Lp duality on an arbitrary measure space without imposing sigma-finiteness on $\mu$. Write $C=\Vert \Phi \Vert$. For every measurable set $E$ with $\mu (E)<\infty$, define a complex measure on $E$ byIt is countably additive: for disjoint $F_j\subseteq E$, the partial sums of their indicator functions tend in $L^p$ to $1_{\bigcup F_j}$, because the measure of the omitted tail tends to zero. It is absolutely continuous with respect to $\mu {|}_E$, since indicator functions of null sets represent zero in $L^p$.

Its total variation norm of a measure is finite. For any finite measurable partition $E={\bigcup }_j{E}_j$, choose scalars $c_j$ of modulus $1$ with $c_j{\nu }_E(E_j)=|{\nu }_E(E_j)|$. ThenTaking the supremum over partitions gives the variation bound. Since $\mu {|}_E$ is finite, the Radon-Nikodym theorem supplies $g_E\in L^1(E)$ with ${\nu }_E(F)={\int }_F{g}_{E}d\mu$. By uniform approximation with simple functions,for every bounded measurable $h$ supported in $E$.

To improve $g_E$ from $L^1$ to $L^q$, test with the bounded functionIf $I_N={\int }_{E\cap \{|g_E|\le N\}}|g_E{|}^{q}d\mu$, thenThus $I_N^{1/q}\le C$ when $I_N>0$, and the same bound is trivial when it is zero. The monotone convergence theorem givesIf $E,F$ both have finite measure, the densities $g_E,g_F$ agree almost everywhere on $E\cap F$: their integrals over every measurable subset of the intersection equal the same functional value. This is uniqueness in the Radon-Nikodym theorem.

We now perform support localization of an Lp functional. SetChoose finite-measure sets $E_n$ whose displayed integrals tend to $M$, and let $D_n=E_1\cup \cdots \cup E_n$, $S={\bigcup }_n{D}_n$. If $M=0$, take $E_n=\varnothing$. Compatibility allows us to define a measurable function $g$ on $S$ by taking $g_{D_n}$ on the disjoint measurable sets $D_n\setminus D_{n-1}$, and put $g=0$ off $S$. It agrees almost everywhere with $g_{D_n}$ on every $D_n$. Moreover,Indeed each integral is at most $M$, and it is at least the integral over $E_n$, which tends to $M$.

For any finite-measure set $F\subseteq \Omega \setminus S$, compatibility on the disjoint union $D_n\cup F$ givesLetting $n\to \infty$ forces $g_F=0$ almost everywhere. For an arbitrary finite-measure set $E$, compatibility on $E\cap D_n$ and the preceding conclusion on $E\setminus S$ show that $g_E=g$ almost everywhere on $E$. Consequently $\Phi (h)=\int hgd\mu$ for every simple function supported on a finite-measure set.

Those simple functions are dense in $L^p$ even for this arbitrary measure space. To see the needed finite-support property, for $h\in L^p$ the sets $\{|h|>1/n\}$ have finite measure, bounded by $n^p\Vert h{\Vert }_p^p$. First truncate $h$ to such sets and to bounded values, then approximate by simple functions; the discarded $L^p$ integral tends to zero. Continuity of $\Phi$ and Hölder's inequality therefore extend the representation to every $h\in L^p$.

We have constructed $g\in L^q$ with $\Phi ={\Phi }_g$, and the previously proved norm identity gives $\Vert g{\Vert }_q=\Vert \Phi \Vert$. It also proves uniqueness: if ${\Phi }_g={\Phi }_{\tilde{g}}$, then $\Vert g-\tilde{g}{\Vert }_q=0$. This completes the isometric duality of Lp spaces.

The dominated sequence actually converges to zero in norm, and hence weakly. The assumptions give $|f_n{|}^p\le |f{|}^p\in L^1$ and $|f_n{|}^p\to 0$ almost everywhere. The dominated convergence theorem yieldsFor every $\Phi \in (L^p{)}^{\ast }$, $|\Phi (f_n)|\le \Vert \Phi \Vert \Vert f_n{\Vert }_p\to 0$. Therefore

On the same measurable space, absolute continuity of measures meansThe Radon-Nikodym theorem then supplies a nonnegative measurable density $Z$ with ${\mathbb{E}}_{\mathbb{P}}Z=1$ and $\tilde{\mathbb{P}}(A)={\mathbb{E}}_{\mathbb{P}}[Z{1}_A]$. The converse follows directly from this formula. Strict positivity of the Radon-Nikodym derivative gives equivalence of the two probability measures; absolute continuity of measures alone need not give equivalence.