Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2002 / iii / Paper 31 / 2

For $g(x)=\log |x|$ on ${\mathbb{R}}^2\setminus \{0\}$,The Itô formula, stopped in a compact annulus, therefore givesThis proves the local martingale property up to a possible hitting of the origin. For the annulus exit time $T$, $M_{t\wedge T}$ is bounded between $\log r$ and $\log R$, so it is a true uniformly integrable martingale.

The exit is finite almost surely. Indeed $|B_t{|}^2-2t$ is a martingale, so stopping at $T\wedge t$ gives $2\mathbb{E}(T\wedge t)=\mathbb{E}|B_{T\wedge t}{|}^2-1\le R^2-1$. Letting $t\to \infty$ proves $\mathbb{E}T<\infty$. Bounded convergence in the logarithmic martingale now yieldsIf $p$ is the probability of reaching radius $r$ before radius $R$, continuity givesHitting zero before reaching radius $R$ would require reaching every positive radius $r$ first. Its probability is bounded by $p$, which tends to zero as $r\downarrow 0$. Any finite-time path hitting zero is bounded before that time and hence hits zero before exiting some integer-radius disk. A countable union over those disks proves $B_t\ne 0$ for every $t\ge 0$, almost surely. This is planar Brownian motion avoids a fixed point; it also makes $M$ a globally defined continuous local martingale.

To decide whether it is a true martingale, compute its expectation directly. Condition on $B_0$ if necessary and use rotation to take $B_0=(1,0)$ and write $B_t=B_0+W_t$. Conditional on $\rho =|W_t|$, the angle of $W_t$ is uniform. The angular average of a logarithmic potential isFor $\rho <1$ this follows by taking the real part of the convergent power series for $\log (1+\rho e^{i\theta })$: each nonconstant Fourier term integrates to zero. For $\rho >1$ factor out $\rho$ and apply the same argument to $1/\rho$. The equality at one follows by the integrable limiting logarithmic singularity. All interchanges are valid: the shifted Gaussian density is bounded near the origin, where ${\int }_0^{1}r|\log r|dr<\infty$, and its Gaussian tail controls logarithmic growth.

The radius $\rho$ has density $(\rho /t)e^{-{\rho }^2/(2t)}$. Consequently, for $t>0$,Since $M_0=0$, $M$ is not a martingale, despite integrability at each deterministic time. This is the logarithmic radius of planar Brownian motion example.

The optional hint is consistent with this conclusion. The upper-radius exit $T(2,0)$ is finite and never occurs at zero. After that exit the stopped square is $(\log 2{)}^2$; before it, a radius in $[1/2,2]$ also gives a logarithmic square no larger than $(\log 2{)}^2$, while a radius below $1/2$ contributes precisely the extra indicated term. This proves the hinted inequality without assuming that the unstopped process is a true martingale.