Past exam of the martingales and financial mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2011 / A / 1 / c / ii / Solution

Independence of the full sigma-algebras immediately gives independence of their generating pi-systems. For the converse, fix $H\in {\mathcal{H}}_0$. On $\mathcal{G}$, define finite measuresThey have the same total mass $\mathbb{P}(H)$ and agree on ${\mathcal{G}}_0$ by assumption. The supplied measure-uniqueness theorem makes them equal on $\mathcal{G}$. Thus the independence formula holds for every $G\in \mathcal{G}$ and every $H\in {\mathcal{H}}_0$.

Now fix such an arbitrary $G$. The measures $H\mapsto \mathbb{P}(G\cap H)$ and $H\mapsto \mathbb{P}(G)\mathbb{P}(H)$ on $\mathcal{H}$ have equal total mass and agree on ${\mathcal{H}}_0$. A second application gives equality on all of $\mathcal{H}$. This proves independence extended from generating pi-systems.