Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2016 / iii / Paper 202 / 1 / a / Solution

Use a filtered probability space $(\Omega ,\mathcal{F},({\mathcal{F}}_t),\mathbb{P})$, and put ${\mathcal{F}}_{0-}={\mathcal{F}}_0$. The predictable sigma-algebra on $\Omega \times [0,\infty )$ isEquivalently it is generated by left-continuous adapted processes. A real-valued previsible process is a function $(\omega ,t)\mapsto H_t(\omega )$ that is measurable for $\mathcal{P}$ and the Borel sigma-algebra of $\mathbb{R}$.

A simple predictable process has the formwhere $h_{-1}$ is bounded and ${\mathcal{F}}_0$-measurable, and each $h_i$ is bounded and ${\mathcal{F}}_{t_i}$-measurable. Set $H=0$ after $t_n$; allowing a final infinite interval gives an equivalent dense class. The values may be restricted to finitely many values if desired, by approximating bounded measurable functions by simple functions. The initial-time term matters for arbitrary finite measures on $\mathcal{P}$: a measure can charge time zero, even though the stochastic integral against a continuous martingale does not.