Past exam of the probability course of the University of Oxford / 2021 / 1 / b

Fix $\delta >0$. Once $|c_n-c|<\delta$, the following event inclusions hold outside $\{|X_n-X|>\delta \}$:Taking probabilities gives the explicit boundsBy the assumed convergence in probability, the error tends to zero. ThereforeThe continuity of the cumulative distribution function $F$ at $c$ lets $\delta$ decrease to zero, proving $\boxed{F_n(c_n)\to F(c).}$ This proves the needed implication directly, without invoking any theorem comparing convergence of random variables.

The definition of convergence in distribution gives $F_n(t)\to F(t)$ at each continuity point $t$ of $F$. We must handle a moving argument rather than assume this convergence is uniform.

A cumulative distribution function has at most countably many discontinuities: each is a jump of positive size, and there are at most $r$ jumps of size at least $1/r$, since their sizes sum to at most one. Thus we can choose continuity points $u_j<c<v_j$ with $u_j\uparrow c$ and $v_j\downarrow c$. For fixed $j$, eventually $u_j<c_n<v_j$. The monotonicity of each cumulative distribution function impliesFirst let $n\to \infty$, using the definition of convergence in distribution at $u_j,v_j$. Then let $j\to \infty$, using continuity at $c$:No result relating different convergence of random variables has been assumed.

Use $X_n\sim \mathrm{Unif}[0,1/n]$ from part (a). We already proved convergence in distribution to zero. For any prescribed $p\in [0,1]$, put $c_n=p/n$. Then $c_n\to 0$, and the cumulative distribution function satisfiesThis includes $p=0$ and $p=1$, since the uniform distribution assigns zero probability to each endpoint. The limit cumulative distribution function is discontinuous at zero, explaining why the conclusion of (ii) does not apply there.