For , the real Lp space is the vector space of real measurable functions with , identifying functions equal almost everywhere. Its Lp norm is . For , take the essentially bounded real measurable functions, with the same identification and norm . The identification makes each norm definite; absolute homogeneity follows from the Lebesgue integral, and the triangle inequality follows from Minkowski inequality for finite , or directly from the essential supremum for .
Here is a completeness proof valid on any measure space. For , a Cauchy sequence has a subsequence with . Choose measurable function representatives and put . By Minkowski inequality and the monotone convergence theorem,
Consequently the series converges absolutely almost everywhere. Define there, and define it to be zero on the measurable exceptional null set. Then , and Fatou lemma applied to each tail gives . The original Cauchy sequence also converges in Lp norm, by the triangle inequality. For , choose the same subsequence using the essential supremum norm. Outside one measurable null set, all the bounds hold and is bounded. The series then converges uniformly there, with an essentially bounded measurable function limit and the same tail estimate in essential supremum norm. Thus all these spaces are Banach spaces.
The duality of Lp spaces says that, for and , the map
is an isometric isomorphism of normed spaces. This form of Lp duality on an arbitrary measure space requires no finiteness hypothesis on . At , a standard version assumes a sigma-finite measure and identifies with through the same dual pairing. That endpoint assertion must not be made without a suitable measure-space hypothesis.
We first prove the required duality of Lp spaces for a finite measure. Let and set . For disjoint measurable , the indicator functions of their partial unions converge in Lp norm to that of their union, so is countably additive. It has finite variation measure: for every finite measurable partition , choosing real signs gives
Also implies . The Radon-Nikodym theorem supplies a Radon-Nikodym derivative with . Linearity gives for simple functions. Uniform approximation by simple functions extends this identity to bounded measurable functions: both their Lp norm errors and the errors in integration against tend to zero.
To establish the correct integrability, test with the bounded measurable function . Since , writing gives
The second inequality is also valid when . The monotone convergence theorem gives and . Density of simple functions in the Lp space, together with Hölder's inequality, now gives on all of . Conversely Hölder's inequality gives . If , testing against
gives and , so . This also proves uniqueness of the representing Radon-Nikodym derivative.
For completeness, the passage to an arbitrary measure space can be made without losing a hypothesis in the reflexive Banach space argument below. On a sigma-finite measure space, exhaust by nested finite-measure sets . The representing Radon-Nikodym derivatives on agree on overlaps by uniqueness. Their glued density has Lp norm by the monotone convergence theorem, and represents because in Lp norm. Every on an arbitrary measure space is supported on a sigma-finite measurable set: the sets have finite measure and their union is .
Use support localization of an Lp functional as follows. For a sigma-finite measurable , let be the operator norm of restricted to functions supported in . The support observation gives . Choose approaching this supremum and set ; then . If a sigma-finite had , functions supported on the disjoint sets have the direct-sum Lp norm. Optimizing their two scalar coefficients by Hölder's inequality, and using functions approaching the two restriction operator norms, would give
a contradiction. Thus vanishes on functions supported outside . The density on , extended by zero, represents globally. The case simply uses . This proves the stated Lp duality on an arbitrary measure space.
Finally let and let , where stars denote continuous dual spaces. Compose with to obtain the bounded linear functional on . Applying duality of Lp spaces with the exponents reversed gives with . For the canonical embedding into the bidual , its value on is also . Since is onto, . Its norm is by the same dual pairing norm identity. Therefore , which proves that is a reflexive Banach space through its actual canonical embedding into the bidual.
For nonnegative measurable functions on a measure space, the Fatou lemma states
In particular for nonnegative random variables; infinite values are allowed. Nonnegativity, or a common integrable lower bound after subtraction, is essential.
The Radon-Nikodym theorem for positive measures says: if and are sigma-finite measures on the same measurable space, and is absolutely continuous with respect to , then there is a nonnegative measurable function , unique -almost everywhere, such that
Here sigma-finiteness means that the space is a countable union of measurable sets of finite measure; absolute continuity of measures, written , means that implies . The function is the Radon-Nikodym derivative. For a finite signed or complex measure of finite total variation norm of a measure, absolutely continuous with respect to a sigma-finite , the corresponding density belongs to . This follows by applying the positive theorem to the positive and negative parts of the real and imaginary parts of .
For every measure space and , is isometrically , where . We use the complex-linear pairing
With the convention , the same identification is conjugate-linear in . By Hölder's inequality, is a bounded linear functional with . If , set
interpreting the numerator as zero where . The identity gives and . Thus
It remains to represent an arbitrary , rather than merely produce functionals from .
We prove Lp duality on an arbitrary measure space without imposing sigma-finiteness on . Write . For every measurable set with , define a complex measure on by
It is countably additive: for disjoint , the partial sums of their indicator functions tend in to , because the measure of the omitted tail tends to zero. It is absolutely continuous with respect to , since indicator functions of null sets represent zero in .
Its total variation norm of a measure is finite. For any finite measurable partition , choose scalars of modulus with . Then
Taking the supremum over partitions gives the variation bound. Since is finite, the Radon-Nikodym theorem supplies with . By uniform approximation with simple functions,
for every bounded measurable supported in .
To improve from to , test with the bounded function
If , then
Thus when , and the same bound is trivial when it is zero. The monotone convergence theorem gives
If both have finite measure, the densities agree almost everywhere on : 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. Set
Choose finite-measure sets whose displayed integrals tend to , and let , . If , take . Compatibility allows us to define a measurable function on by taking on the disjoint measurable sets , and put off . It agrees almost everywhere with on every . Moreover,
Indeed each integral is at most , and it is at least the integral over , which tends to .
For any finite-measure set , compatibility on the disjoint union gives
Letting forces almost everywhere. For an arbitrary finite-measure set , compatibility on and the preceding conclusion on show that almost everywhere on . Consequently for every simple function supported on a finite-measure set.
Those simple functions are dense in even for this arbitrary measure space. To see the needed finite-support property, for the sets have finite measure, bounded by . First truncate to such sets and to bounded values, then approximate by simple functions; the discarded integral tends to zero. Continuity of and Hölder's inequality therefore extend the representation to every .
We have constructed with , and the previously proved norm identity gives . It also proves uniqueness: if , then . This completes the isometric duality of Lp spaces.
The dominated sequence actually converges to zero in norm, and hence weakly. The assumptions give and almost everywhere. The dominated convergence theorem yields
For every , . Therefore
The Beppo Levi theorem, or monotone convergence theorem, states that if is a sequence of nonnegative measurable functions on a measure space and
pointwise almost everywhere, then is measurable and
where either side may be infinite.
Measurability of follows from measurability of countable suprema. Since , monotonicity of the Lebesgue integral gives
For the reverse inequality, let be a nonnegative simple function with , and fix . Define
Then up to the null set on which convergence fails. Since ,
by continuity from below of a measure, applied to the finitely many level sets of . Hence . Letting and taking the supremum over all simple , as in the definition of the Lebesgue integral, gives the reverse inequality and proves the theorem.
Fatou lemma states that for any sequence of nonnegative measurable functions on a measure space,
For the proof, define
Then is a nonnegative increasing sequence and
The monotone convergence theorem therefore gives
For each , we have , so monotonicity of the Lebesgue integral yields
Taking the limit in proves the asserted inequality and the proof of Fatou lemma.
A sigma-algebra on contains , is closed under complements relative to , and is closed under countable unions. Consequently it contains the empty set and is closed under countable intersections. A measure space is a triple with a map satisfying and countable additivity on pairwise disjoint measurable sets.
For the increasing sequence, set and for . These measurable sets are disjoint, their union is , and . Thus countable additivity and finite additivity give
The identity permits the value infinity; it uses no subtraction of infinite measures. This is continuity from below of a measure.
For a decreasing sequence, the analogous assertion is not always true. On with the counting measure, take . Then , so , whereas for every and their limit is infinity.
A sufficient extra condition for continuity from above of a measure is . Indeed increases to , and the increasing-sequence result gives
More generally it suffices that one of the has finite measure. The missing finiteness assumption is exactly what the counterexample violates.
Fubini's theorem states that an absolutely integrable measurable function on a product of two -finite measure spaces has integrable sections almost everywhere, the corresponding iterated integrals exist, and both orders equal its product integral. In particular, for ,
To establish integrability of the nonnegative function here, first use Tonelli's theorem: for a nonnegative measurable function the product integral equals either iterated integral with infinity allowed. This avoids assuming the conclusion needed for Fubini's theorem.
If , for every fixed . If , it is
The outer integral is finite exactly when , that is, . In that case
For the outer integral diverges, including logarithmic divergence at . Nonnegativity means finiteness of this integral is exactly absolute integrability; after proving it, Fubini's theorem allows either order.
Fubini's theorem states that an absolutely integrable measurable function on a product of two -finite measure spaces has integrable sections almost everywhere, the corresponding iterated integrals exist, and both orders equal its product integral. In particular, for ,
To establish integrability of the nonnegative function here, first use Tonelli's theorem: for a nonnegative measurable function the product integral equals either iterated integral with infinity allowed. This avoids assuming the conclusion needed for Fubini's theorem.
If , for every fixed . If , it is
The outer integral is finite exactly when , that is, . In that case
For the outer integral diverges, including logarithmic divergence at . Nonnegativity means finiteness of this integral is exactly absolute integrability; after proving it, Fubini's theorem allows either order.
The monotone convergence theorem says that if almost everywhere and the functions are measurable on a measure space, then
with infinite integrals permitted. The limit is measurable after the usual modification on any exceptional null set.
The dominated convergence theorem says that if measurable functions converge almost everywhere to and satisfy almost everywhere for an integrable nonnegative function , then is integrable and
The theorem applies equally to real or complex functions. In particular domination must be by one fixed Lebesgue integrable function, rather than by a different bound for each .
On a product of sigma-finite measure spaces, Tonelli's theorem says that a nonnegative measurable function has equal product and iterated integrals, allowing .
Fubini's theorem says that if a measurable function is absolutely integrable on the product, almost every section is integrable, the integrals of sections are integrable, and both iterated integrals equal the product integral. In particular, to establish absolute integrability one can first apply Tonelli's theorem to the absolute value and show its iterated integral is finite.
The monotone convergence theorem states that for nonnegative measurable functions almost everywhere, , allowing the value .
The dominated convergence theorem states that if measurable functions almost everywhere and almost everywhere for some integrable , then is integrable and . In fact as well. Both statements apply on any measure space.
The monotone convergence theorem states that if are nonnegative measurable functions on a measure space and almost everywhere, then
Either side is allowed to be ; no integrable dominating function is required.
The monotone convergence theorem states that if measurable functions pointwise on a measure space, then , allowing the limit to be infinite.
Extend each restriction to by zero on . The functions are nonnegative and increase pointwise to because the intervals are increasing and exhaust . Hence
For nonnegative , integrability means finiteness of this integral, so
No boundedness or closedness of the intervals is required.
For a continuously differentiable diffeomorphism between intervals, the integration by substitution states
It holds as an identity element of extended integrals for nonnegative measurable . For signed or complex-valued measurable , integrability on one side is equivalent to integrability after substitution, and the identity element then holds. The absolute derivative accounts for a decreasing substitution; on oriented finite intervals the equivalent formula uses and oriented endpoints.
Put . The map is a decreasing diffeomorphism of the positive half-line onto itself and
Applying the nonnegative version before assuming finiteness proves both existence and value:
Tonelli's theorem permits either iterated integral of a nonnegative measurable function on a product of sigma-finite measure spaces and identifies both with its extended product integral. Fubini's theorem states that for an absolutely integrable measurable function on such a product, almost every section is integrable, the section-integral functions are integrable, and the two iterated integrals equal the product integral.
The given two-variable function is continuous and positive on the positive quadrant. For fixed , substituting gives
Tonelli now gives
This proves absolute integrability, so Fubini is applicable.
For , integrate the displayed partial fraction identity element in up to :
At the section integral is , agreeing with the continuous limit of this expression. Therefore Fubini identifies the remaining integral and gives
The apparent singularity at one is removable, with limiting integrand value . Positivity and the finite product integral already establish convergence at both ends.
Probability space Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
A probability space is a measure space whose total measure is one. The sample space contains the elementary outcomes; the sigma-algebra contains the events to which the model assigns probabilities; the probability measure supplies those values. The sigma-algebra lets us combine observable questions using complements and countable unions while remaining within the model.
For two independent uniform dice, take , , and give each ordered pair mass . A random variable might record the sum, the larger result, or whether both results are even integers. These are different functions on the same sample space, rather than different elementary experiments. A probability distribution records the mass of the values of one such random variable and can forget information retained by the full probability space.
For a measure space and , the restriction of a measure to a measurable subset is the measure on given by the displayed formula. The trace sigma-algebra consists of the measurable sets contained in . The empty-set axiom and countable additivity are inherited directly from . An associated measure on the original sigma-algebra is for ; the two constructions have different underlying measurable spaces.