If is Lebesgue integrable and is measurable on the same measure space, then is integrable exactly when is integrable. One implication follows from ; the other follows from . Thus adding a function with finite integral of its absolute value cannot remove a failure of absolute integrability. This is the vector space property of L1 space stated as a useful test for a sum of terms with different decay rates.
Consumption allocation 2026-10-14
In an economy with a measure space of consumers, a consumption allocation is a measurable, integrable function assigning each consumer a feasible bundle. Exact aggregate feasibility means .
Dirac measure Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-14
On a measurable space , the Dirac measure at assigns unit mass according to whether a measurable set contains that point:
Here is the indicator function. This is a probability measure, since . For pairwise disjoint measurable sets , at most one contains , so : countable additivity reduces to a membership test. The definition works even when the singleton is not a measurable set. [ref]
To assert that its support of a measure is exactly , assume that is a metric space and is its Borel sigma-algebra. The singleton is then a closed set and a Borel set, with . Every open neighbourhood of has mass one; every other point has an open ball of radius less than its distance from , with mass zero. Thus . An abstract measurable space has no specified topology, so this topological conclusion is not part of the bare definition. Indeed, on the sigma-algebra , all Dirac measures coincide: the available measurable sets cannot distinguish points.
The Lebesgue integral against a Dirac measure is evaluation:
This holds for every nonnegative measurable function, allowing an infinite value, and for real or complex measurable functions satisfying , which are precisely the integrable functions for . For a nonnegative simple function, only the cell containing contributes to its integral; increasing simple functions and the monotone convergence theorem extend the identity. Splitting into positive and negative parts, and then real and imaginary parts, gives the remaining cases. This is why a Dirac measure turns integration into a point query.
For a measurable function , its pushforward measure satisfies
Consequently for nonnegative or integrable measurable functions . For example, on the real numbers with their Borel sigma-algebra, sends to , so integrating against that pushforward measure gives . [ref]
Finite weighted sums of Dirac measures give useful measures with finitely many point masses. For finite nonnegative weights ,
for nonnegative measurable functions , or whenever , with zero-weight terms omitted. Repeated locations have their weights added. On the real numbers, this is the finite version of the measure underlying the left-continuous cumulative function of an atomic measure; a positive-weight singleton is an atom of a measure. Unit weights at the distinct points of a finite set recover counting measure on that set. [ref]
The same function can have sharply different integrals for different measures. On with its Borel sigma-algebra, define
Here is Lebesgue measure and is counting measure. The singleton is a Lebesgue null set, so its changed value leaves the Lebesgue integral equal to . For counting measure on the whole interval, on an infinite set, forcing an infinite integral. On the smaller measure space with its power set and counting measure, the restricted function instead has integral .
Figure 1.
An isolated value contributes differently to Dirac measure, counting measure, and Lebesgue measure
. Original analytical illustration of the specified function, with an open circle at the excluded value and a filled point at the actual value . The finite sum uses ; the other three integrals use the same ambient interval . The drawn area is the Lebesgue integral, and no density curve is assigned to the Dirac measure. Details.
This also explains the almost everywhere convention in Lp spaces: equality almost everywhere for requires equality at , whereas equality almost everywhere for Lebesgue measure allows different values at that singleton. A point value therefore cannot be read unambiguously from an equivalence class in an Lp space formed using Lebesgue measure.
On the real numbers, a Dirac measure gives the Dirac delta distribution by for every test function. The name Dirac delta function does not mean an ordinary function that is zero away from and infinitely high at . Such a nonnegative measurable function still has Lebesgue integral zero, because its nonzero values occur on a Lebesgue null set. More generally, no nonnegative density with respect to Lebesgue measure can represent : it would give , contradicting unit mass. The measure and its associated distribution act on different kinds of inputs, namely measurable sets and test functions, but express the same point evaluation. [ref]
Essential infimum and essential supremum Created 2026-10-14 Updated 2026-10-25
The essential infimum and essential supremum describe the lower and upper bounds of a measurable function after disregarding null sets for a specified measure. A pointwise infimum or supremum sees every input; an essential bound sees whether values below or above a proposed threshold occur on a set of positive measure. Thus "essential" means insensitive to changes on a null set, rather than insensitive to unusual values. This distinction makes essential bounds compatible with Lebesgue integrals and the equivalence classes used in Lp spaces. [ref].
For a real measurable function on a measure space , the definitions are
These can take values in the extended real number line. On a space of positive total measure, finite essential bounds obey almost everywhere. If is finite, every threshold has ; the corresponding lower-edge statement is for every . These are the measure-based counterparts of the approximation property of a supremum and approximation property of an infimum.
Here is a two-sided example on with Lebesgue measure:
The pointwise bounds are and , while the essential bounds are and . Both exceptional singletons are null sets. But for , the inputs where still have measure , and those where have measure : deleting or adding two individual inputs cannot change those lengths. Hence neither essential bound can be moved inward.
Figure 1.
Essential infimum and essential supremum ignore two exceptional singletons, while pointwise infimum and supremum retain them
. The function follows except for the filled values and . Hollow markers exclude the ordinary values at those inputs. The shaded horizontal band spans the essential bounds zero and one for Lebesgue measure. Details.
The choice of measure is part of the answer. The same has essential bounds and under counting measure, because every nonempty set has positive measure. Under the Dirac measure at , both essential bounds equal . A null set for one measure need not be a null set for another.
Nor must the exceptional inputs be isolated. The Dirichlet function, equal to one at rational numbers and zero at irrational numbers, has pointwise supremum one on , but essential supremum zero for Lebesgue measure: the rational numbers form a countable set that is a null set, even though they are dense. Conversely, a value ten on an interval of length affects the essential supremum just as decisively as it would on half the domain. Small positive measure is not zero measure.
Finite-measure set 2026-10-06
A finite-measure set is a measurable set on which the ambient measure is finite. Restricting to such a set makes its indicator function belong to every Lp space with finite exponent, enabling local Radon-Nikodym theorem arguments even when the whole measure space is not sigma-finite.
Hölder's inequality Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-18
Hölder's inequality controls a product using separate information about its two factors. If one factor is large on part of a domain, the other factor's complementary Lp norm limits how much their product can accumulate there. The same statement bounds finite sums, integrals and expected values; no independence is required in the probabilistic version.
Let be conjugate exponents, meaning
On a measure space, if and , then and
Here the Lp norms are finite; at exponent the norm uses the essential supremum. For a finite vector, integration with counting measure gives
The first step is the triangle inequality; the second is Hölder's inequality.[ref]
For finite vectors, the endpoint case , is : bound every by its maximum, then sum the . Swapping the factors gives the other endpoint. The choice gives the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality.
Lebesgue integral Created 2026-09-29 Updated 2026-10-14
For a nonnegative measurable function on a measure space, define
The supremum may be infinite. A simple function assigns finitely many heights to measurable sets, so its integral is height times measure, summed over those pieces. This definition groups points by their values rather than requiring a partition into short intervals. See MIT lecture 11, Definition 108.
A real-valued function is Lebesgue integrable when . Its integral is , where is its positive part and . This finiteness requirement avoids subtracting two infinities. For functions taking values in the complex numbers, integrate the real part and imaginary part separately.
Consider the Dirichlet function on . It is a simple function, and
Its Riemann integral does not exist. For every partition of an interval , each nondegenerate contains both rational numbers and irrational numbers, by their respective density of the rational numbers and density of the irrational numbers. Thus its infimum there is and its supremum is . The lower Darboux sum is , whereas the upper Darboux sum is . Refinement never closes this gap. A finite scatterplot cannot represent this behavior: the assertion concerns every subinterval and every partition of an interval.
Another view builds the Lebesgue integral from horizontal layers. For any nonnegative measurable function, the layer cake representation states
Both sides may be infinite. The right side integrates the measure of a superlevel set against Lebesgue measure in the height variable . See Gautam Iyer's measure theory notes, Theorem 9.5.
For on with Lebesgue measure, the superlevel set at is , of Lebesgue measure ; for it is empty. Consequently
At height , the layer extends from to , a width of . The picture shows why the same area can be accumulated vertically or horizontally. In a probability space, the identical formula expresses the expected value of a nonnegative random variable through its exceedance probabilities.
Figure 1.
Integrating by horizontal layers and their widths
. Details.
A proof outline avoids extra assumptions on the measure space. For a nonnegative simple function with disjoint measurable sets , the superlevel set has measure . Integrating this finite sum gives . Next use approximation by nonnegative simple functions . For every , the superlevel sets increase to . Continuity from below of a measure and the monotone convergence theorem on the height variable give the formula for .
Linearity of integration Created 2026-10-14 Updated 2026-10-20
For integrable real-valued functions on a measure space and fixed real numbers , their linear combination is integrable, and the Lebesgue integral satisfies
The same rule applies to any finite summation: for integrable functions and fixed scalars . Finite signed values matter: integrability ensures all these integrals are finite, so no undefined occurs.
This is the distributive property of finite summation carried into integration: a fixed factor can be pulled out, and a finite sum can be integrated term by term. For simple functions, distribute the finite sums of value times measure; approximation extends additivity to nonnegative measurable functions, and splitting into a positive part and negative part gives the integrable signed case. See Lecture 12: Lebesgue Integrable Functions, the Lebesgue Integral and the Dominated Convergence Theorem (Proposition 122: linearity for integrable functions). For example, . With a probability measure, linearity of integration gives linearity of expectation.
L-infinity norm 2026-10-14
On a measure space of positive total measure, the L-infinity norm of an essentially bounded measurable function is . The absolute value matters: a constant function has L-infinity norm three, even though its essential supremum is . The norm belongs to the equivalence class in Lp space; different representatives equal almost everywhere give the same answer. [ref].
For the function in essential infimum and essential supremum, under Lebesgue measure, whereas its supremum norm is four. Replacing the exceptional values by the ordinary values leaves every finite Lp norm unchanged as well: . This tends to one as . That agreement explains why the endpoint with exponent uses an essential bound rather than a pointwise bound.
A finite probability space makes the distinction between zero and small measure explicit. Let , , and . Assign weights , , , where . For ,
When , the singleton is a null set and . For every , however small, . For example, gives and , yet the large- Lp norms approach ten. The ordinary pointwise supremum norm is ten in both cases.
Figure 1.
A zero-weight value disappears from every Lp norm, while a rare positive-weight value determines the limiting L-infinity norm
. The original three-point example has values . The curves use weights and , respectively. Dashed levels show the limiting norms three and ten; the plotted finite exponents do not themselves reach those limits. Details.
Why can a rare value dominate? For a bounded function on a probability space, an almost everywhere bound gives . If , the set has positive probability, so . As , the factor tends to one. These two bounds squeeze the limit to . The probability measure assumption keeps total measure finite; this explanation does not assert the same finite- integrability on arbitrary infinite-measure spaces.
Lp duality on an arbitrary measure space Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-14
For conjugate exponents , every bounded linear functional on an Lp space is uniquely for , with functional norm . This holds on arbitrary measure spaces. Apply the Radon-Nikodym theorem on finite-measure pieces, then use support localization of an Lp functional to obtain one global density without assuming sigma-finiteness of the entire measure.
Lyapunov moment inequality Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-14
The Lyapunov moment inequality says that higher positive absolute moments give no smaller absolute moment sizes on a probability space. For a real random variable and ,
allowing an infinite value. For the left expression is an Lp norm; below one it is a quasi-norm, so the usual triangle inequality terminology needs that distinction. The comparison uses a probability measure of total mass one; arbitrary unnormalized measure spaces need a factor depending on their total mass.
For a nonnegative count, the first moment size is its expected value, while the second is the square root of its second moment. Both ten-trial counts in second moment method have first moment size one. The independent count has second moment size , whereas the shared-outcome count has second moment size . The second moment distinguishes models with the same average because its square increases the influence of rare large counts.
More generally, for with a Bernoulli random variable of parameter ,
It rises from one at toward ten as . Replacing by a parameter gives , which decreases toward zero for a fixed positive exponent when , making the rare-event and large-exponent limits different questions. For a scaled Rademacher random variable taking values and two with equal probabilities, every absolute moment size is exactly two: increasing the exponent does not distinguish signs when the absolute value is constant.
Figure 1.
Lyapunov moment inequality reveals how higher moments emphasize large outcomes and when equality holds
. Left: the two original ten-trial models from second moment method have the same mean one, but different absolute moment sizes at exponents above one. The shared model has with . Right: equal masses at and two keep almost surely, giving equality for every pair of positive exponents. These are fully specified mathematical probability models. Details.
For finite , apply the reversed Jensen's inequality to the strictly concave function and the nonnegative random variable :
Taking the positive th root proves the claim. Equality in this finite case holds exactly when is constant almost surely. If the higher moment is infinite, the upper bound is infinite and remains valid. Exponent zero is excluded from the statement; logarithmic or geometric limiting summaries require separately stated conventions, especially when can vanish.
Minkowski inequality Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-14
For measurable functions with values in the real numbers or complex numbers on the same measure space , and , membership in the same Lp space gives
Thus adding two functions cannot make their combined Lp norm exceed the sum of their separate Lp norms. The measure need not be finite or a probability measure. The hypotheses require finite Lp norms; uses the essential supremum of the absolute value, not an ordinary pointwise supremum. For complex numbers, the absolute value is the complex modulus. As usual, Lp spaces identify functions equal almost everywhere. [ref]
The Minkowski inequality makes the Lp norm a workable notion of size: it supplies the triangle inequality needed to turn into a metric on Lp space. Applied to , it says that travelling through an intermediate function cannot shorten the direct distance measured by this metric. Applied to two error functions, it gives a bound on the total error even when the errors reinforce one another; Minkowski inequality for error aggregation gives explicit examples.
The geometry is already visible in the Euclidean plane. Under counting measure on two coordinates, the closed unit balls for the L1 norm, Euclidean norm, and L-infinity norm are respectively , , and . Every one is a convex set: if have Lp norm at most one, the Minkowski inequality and absolute homogeneity of a norm give for . The Euclidean norm has no flat boundary segments, whereas the other two norms do. This is the distinction captured by a strictly convex normed space and developed in equality in Minkowski inequality.
Figure 1. . The red point is the midpoint of the two marked unit vectors. It lies inside the disk, but on the flat edge of the diamond or square. All three unit balls are convex sets; only the disk gives a strictly convex normed space among these planar examples. Details.
A short Hölder's inequality proof outline handles . First , so has finite Lp norm before any division. With conjugate exponents and , set ; then . The scalar triangle inequality followed by Hölder's inequality gives
Divide if ; otherwise the desired bound is immediate. For , integrate . For , the almost everywhere bounds and give the result by the essential supremum. The same scalar triangle inequality works for real numbers and complex numbers.
The monotone convergence theorem states: on a measure space , let be measurable functions with
Then is measurable and
The integrals and their limit may be infinite. No integrable dominator, finite measure hypothesis, or sigma-finiteness is required. The nonnegativity and increasing order are the essential hypotheses in this form of the theorem.
The dominated convergence theorem states: on a measure space , let be measurable functions converging almost everywhere to a measurable . Suppose there is a nonnegative measurable function with and almost everywhere for every . Then is integrable and
Here integrability means integrability with respect to the given measure; for Lebesgue measure it is Lebesgue integrability. Neither a finite measure space nor monotonicity of the sequence is required. The same single integrable dominator must control the whole sequence.
Let and be measure spaces with sigma-finite measures, and use their product measure.
Fubini's theorem: if is a measurable absolutely integrable function on , then its sections are integrable for almost every fixed value of the other coordinate, the resulting section-integral functions are integrable, and
All three integrals are finite. Values of an inner integral on an exceptional null set can be assigned arbitrarily.
Tonelli's theorem: if is measurable and nonnegative, the same equality holds for its nonnegative product and iterated integrals, allowing the common value . No advance absolute integrability assumption is needed. On a completed Lebesgue measure product, the section and measurability assertions are interpreted almost everywhere.
Thus Tonelli's theorem can first establish that ; after this, Fubini's theorem permits signed integration in either order.
A measurable space is a pair where is a sigma-algebra of subsets of : it contains , is closed under complements relative to , and is closed under countable unions. A measure on it is a function with and countable additivity:
whenever the measurable sets are pairwise disjoint. Infinite values are allowed. The triple is a measure space.
Because , the family contains . If , then belongs to and is a subset of , so it belongs to . If each , their countable union belongs to and remains a subset of . Thus is a sigma-algebra on , with relative complements taken in , not in .
Equivalently,
the trace sigma-algebra on the measurable set . The measurability of is what makes this equal to the family in the question.
The function takes values in and has . For any pairwise disjoint , countable additivity of gives
Therefore is a measure on : it is the restriction of a measure to a measurable subset.
Define the one-dimensional convolution kernel
It is a Borel measurable function, and . The function is Borel measurable by composition with the continuous difference map. Lifting the Lebesgue measurable function to the second coordinate preserves measurability for the product sigma-algebra, hence also for Lebesgue measure on . Products of measurable functions are measurable, so is Lebesgue measurable.
Near zero, ; away from zero, . Consequently
Both bounds are integrable on their respective regions by power singularity integrability. In particular,
We use the following forms of the two product-integration theorems. On the product of measure spaces equipped with sigma-finite measures, Tonelli's theorem says that a nonnegative measurable function has equal product and iterated integrals, with infinity allowed. Fubini's theorem says that for an absolutely integrable measurable function, its sections are integrable for almost every fixed coordinate, and both orders of iterated integration equal the finite product integral. The Lebesgue measure on each factor is a sigma-finite measure, because the real line is a countable union of finite-length intervals.
Apply Tonelli's theorem first to , before presuming finiteness. By translation invariance of Lebesgue measure,
Thus is Lebesgue integrable on . The triangle inequality for an integral now gives the requested estimate:
This is the L1 norm identity for a translated kernel product followed by a simple bound on the convolution kernel.
There is also a stronger signed conclusion. The integrable convolution kernel is an odd function, so . Having established absolute integrability, we may apply Fubini's theorem to itself:
Unlike part (a), the signed cancellation is justified by a finite integral of the absolute value. The constant eight is useful as an L1 norm bound even though this particular signed total vanishes.
Minkowski inequality states that on a measure space , for and measurable real or complex of finite Lp norm,
For , integrate the scalar triangle inequality . For , the almost everywhere bounds and give the same result by taking the essential supremum.
For , first ensure that the left side is finite. The convex function on gives
so has finite Lp norm. Set and . Since , Holder inequality gives
If the result is immediate; otherwise divide by . This proves the triangle inequality for every claimed exponent.
A measure space consists of a set , a sigma-algebra of subsets, and a countably additive map with . A sigma-algebra contains and is closed under complements and countable unions. Countable additivity means for pairwise disjoint measurable sets. Such sets are called measurable; a real function is measurable when the inverse image of every Borel set belongs to .