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For complex $C(K)$ on a compact Hausdorff space, the extreme points of its dual unit ball are precisely unimodular multiples of Dirac measures. A measure whose variation measure has mass on two disjoint sets splits as a nontrivial convex combination of normalized restrictions and is not extreme. This description is the key to the Banach–Stone theorem.

Use a bounded BV extension operator for the bounded Lipschitz domain. Extend $u_k$ to $w_k\in BV({\mathbb{R}}^n)$, supported in one fixed compact set, with $\Vert w_k{\Vert }_{BV({\mathbb{R}}^n)}\le C_{\Omega }\Vert u_k{\Vert }_{BV(\Omega )}$. Such an extension is obtained by reflection in Lipschitz boundary charts, a partition of unity and a fixed cutoff function. A naive zero extension must also charge its boundary-trace jump; it cannot discard that contribution.

Let $M$ bound these norms and let $w_{k,ϵ}=w_k\ast {\rho }_{ϵ}$ be their mollifications. The BV mollification error estimate givesThe variation measure here is on ${\mathbb{R}}^n$. The printed lemma's $|Dw|(\Omega )$ needs this correction unless it also assumes all the derivative mass lies in $\Omega$: a nonconstant bump supported outside $\overline{\Omega }$ disproves its literal wording. The correct estimate follows by averaging the BV translation estimate $\Vert w(\cdot -h)-w{\Vert }_1\le |h||Dw|({\mathbb{R}}^n)$ over a mollifier supported in $|h|\le ϵ$.

For each fixed $ϵ>0$, convolution gives uniform boundsThe mollifications have common compact support and are uniformly equicontinuous. The Arzelà-Ascoli theorem supplies a uniformly convergent subsequence at each scale $ϵ=1/m$. A diagonal subsequence converges at every one of those scales. For two late members of that subsequence,First choose large $m$, then late $k,\ell$; the sequence is a Cauchy sequence in $L^1$. Its limit $w$ belongs to the BV space because the total variation seminorm on a domain is sequentially lower semicontinuous. Uniform derivative bounds and integration by parts give $D{w}_k\stackrel{\ast }{\rightharpoonup }Dw$. Restriction to $\Omega$ proves the required weak-star convergence in BV.

The structure theorem for functions of bounded variation is the measure representation of the distributional derivative: for $u\in BV(\Omega )$ there is a unique finite vector Radon measure $Du$ withfor every $\phi \in C_c^1(\Omega ;{\mathbb{R}}^n)$. It also has a polar decomposition of a vector measure $Du={\sigma }_u|Du|$ with $|{\sigma }_u|=1$ for $|Du|$-almost every point.

To prove it, let $L(\phi )=-\int u\mathrm{div}\phi$. The test-function definition of total variation seminorm, applied to both signs, gives $|L(\phi )|\le \mathrm{TV}(u)\Vert \phi {\Vert }_{\infty }$. Compactly supported smooth vector fields are uniformly dense in $C_0(\Omega ;{\mathbb{R}}^n)$, so $L$ extends uniquely to a bounded functional there. The Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem, applied componentwise, gives the unique vector measure $Du$. The operator norm of $L$ is exactly the defining variation supremum; the vector-measure dual norm is $|Du|(\Omega )$, proving equality. Conversely any finite measure satisfying the identity bounds that supremum, so this also characterizes membership in the BV space.

The Radon-Nikodym theorem applied to the components relative to $|Du|$ gives ${\sigma }_u$; the definition of the variation measure forces $|{\sigma }_u|=1$ almost everywhere. If $u$ is smooth, ordinary integration by parts gives $Du=\nabla u{\mathcal{L}}^n$. Compact support of the test field removes any boundary contribution; no boundary regularity is needed for this representation statement.

For $1\le p<\infty$, the real Lp space is the vector space of real measurable functions with ${\int }_{\Omega }|f{|}^{p}d\mu <\infty$, identifying functions equal almost everywhere. Its Lp norm is $\Vert f{\Vert }_p=(\int |f{|}^{p}d\mu {)}^{1/p}$. For $p=\infty$, take the essentially bounded real measurable functions, with the same identification and norm $\Vert f{\Vert }_{\infty }=\mathrm{esssup}|f|$. The identification makes each norm definite; absolute homogeneity follows from the Lebesgue integral, and the triangle inequality follows from Minkowski inequality for finite $p$, or directly from the essential supremum for $p=\infty$.

Here is a completeness proof valid on any measure space. For $p<\infty$, a Cauchy sequence $(f_n)$ has a subsequence $(f_{n_k})$ with $\Vert f_{n_{k+1}}-f_{n_k}{\Vert }_p\le 2^{-k}$. Choose measurable function representatives and put $h_k=f_{n_{k+1}}-f_{n_k}$. By Minkowski inequality and the monotone convergence theorem,Consequently the series $\sum h_k$ converges absolutely almost everywhere. Define $f=f_{n_1}+\sum h_k$ there, and define it to be zero on the measurable exceptional null set. Then $f\in L^p$, and Fatou lemma applied to each tail gives $\Vert f-f_{n_k}{\Vert }_p\le {\sum }_{j=k}^{\infty }{2}^{-j}\to 0$. The original Cauchy sequence also converges in Lp norm, by the triangle inequality. For $p=\infty$, choose the same subsequence using the essential supremum norm. Outside one measurable null set, all the bounds $|h_k|\le 2^{-k}$ hold and $f_{n_1}$ 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 $1<p<\infty$ and $q=p/(p-1)$, the mapis an isometric isomorphism of normed spaces. This form of Lp duality on an arbitrary measure space requires no finiteness hypothesis on $\mu$. At $p=1$, a standard version assumes a sigma-finite measure and identifies $(L^1{)}^{\ast }$ with $L^{\infty }$ 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 $F\in (L^p{)}^{\ast }$ and set $\nu (E)=F(1_E)$. For disjoint measurable $E_j$, the indicator functions of their partial unions converge in Lp norm to that of their union, so $\nu$ is countably additive. It has finite variation measure: for every finite measurable partition $(E_j)$, choosing real signs givesAlso $\mu (E)=0$ implies $\nu (E)=0$. The Radon-Nikodym theorem supplies a Radon-Nikodym derivative $g\in L^1$ with $\nu (E)={\int }_{E}gd\mu$. Linearity gives $F(f)=\int fgd\mu$ 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 $g$ tend to zero.

To establish the correct integrability, test with the bounded measurable function $f_N=\mathrm{sgn}(g)|g{|}^{q-1}{1}_{\{|g|\le N\}}$. Since $(q-1)p=q$, writing $A_N={\int }_{\{|g|\le N\}}|g{|}^{q}d\mu$ givesThe second inequality is also valid when $A_N=0$. The monotone convergence theorem gives $g\in L^q$ and $\Vert g{\Vert }_q\le \Vert F\Vert$. Density of simple functions in the Lp space, together with Hölder's inequality, now gives $F=I_{p}g$ on all of $L^p$. Conversely Hölder's inequality gives $\Vert I_{p}g\Vert \le \Vert g{\Vert }_q$. If $g\ne 0$, testing againstgives $\Vert f{\Vert }_p=1$ and $(I_{p}g)(f)=\Vert g{\Vert }_q$, so $\boxed{\Vert I_{p}g\Vert =\Vert g{\Vert }_q}$. 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 $E_n$. The representing Radon-Nikodym derivatives on $E_n$ agree on overlaps by uniqueness. Their glued density has Lp norm $\Vert g{\Vert }_q\le \Vert F\Vert$ by the monotone convergence theorem, and represents $F$ because $f{1}_{E_n}\to f$ in Lp norm. Every $f\in L^p$ on an arbitrary measure space is supported on a sigma-finite measurable set: the sets $\{|f|>1/n\}$ have finite measure and their union is $\{f\ne 0\}$.

Use support localization of an Lp functional as follows. For a sigma-finite measurable $A$, let $m_A$ be the operator norm of $F$ restricted to functions supported in $A$. The support observation gives ${\sup }_A{m}_A=\Vert F\Vert$. Choose $A_n$ approaching this supremum and set $A={\bigcup }_n{A}_n$; then $m_A=\Vert F\Vert$. If a sigma-finite $B\subseteq \Omega \setminus A$ had $m_B=\beta >0$, functions supported on the disjoint sets $A,B$ 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 givea contradiction. Thus $F$ vanishes on functions supported outside $A$. The density on $A$, extended by zero, represents $F$ globally. The case $F=0$ simply uses $g=0$. This proves the stated Lp duality on an arbitrary measure space.

Finally let $X=L^p$ and let $\Phi \in X^{\ast \ast }$, where stars denote continuous dual spaces. Compose with $I_p$ to obtain the bounded linear functional $g\mapsto \Phi (I_{p}g)$ on $L^q$. Applying duality of Lp spaces with the exponents reversed gives $f\in L^p$ with $\Phi (I_{p}g)=\int fgd\mu$. For the canonical embedding into the bidual $J_{X}f$, its value on $I_{p}g$ is also $\int fgd\mu$. Since $I_p$ is onto, $\Phi =J_{X}f$. Its norm is $\Vert f{\Vert }_p$ by the same dual pairing norm identity. Therefore $\boxed{J_X(L^p)=(L^p{)}^{\ast \ast }}$, which proves that $L^p$ is a reflexive Banach space through its actual canonical embedding into the bidual.

The Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem identifies the dual of the complex space of continuous functions on a compact space $C(K)$ with finite regular complex Borel measures on $K$: each bounded linear functional has a unique representationHere $|\mu |$ is the variation measure; positive functionals correspond exactly to positive regular measures. This is the measure representation theorem, rather than the Hilbert-space representation of a functional by a vector.

For the spectral construction use the convention that the Hilbert inner product is linear in its first argument. A unital subalgebra of $\mathcal{B}(H)$ is understood to contain $I_H$: an algebra whose abstract identity is a smaller projection could not give a resolution normalized by $P(K)=I_H$. On a compact Hausdorff space, a resolution of the identity is understood to be a normalized regular projection-valued measure: its scalar measures are regular, its values are orthogonal projections, and it is countably additive in the strong operator topology. Regularity is part of the usual convention needed for the uniqueness assertion; the statement is interpreted in this sense.

The Commutative Gelfand--Naimark theorem makes the Gelfand transform an isometric unital star-isomorphism $A\to C(K)$, where $K={\Phi }_A$ is compact Hausdorff. Denote its inverse by $\pi :C(K)\to A\subset \mathcal{B}(H)$. For $x,y\in H$, the bounded linear functional $f\mapsto ⟨\pi (f)x,y⟩$ has norm at most $\Vert x\Vert \Vert y\Vert$. Riesz-Markov-Kakutani gives a regular complex measure ${\mu }_{x,y}$ such thatUniqueness makes these measures sesquilinear in $x,y$. For $f\ge 0$, the identity $\pi (f)=\pi (\sqrt{f})\pi (\sqrt{f}{)}^{\ast }$ shows positivity, so ${\mu }_{x,x}$ is positive with total mass $\Vert x{\Vert }^2$.

For every Borel set $B$, the bounded sesquilinear form $(x,y)\mapsto {\mu }_{x,y}(B)$ determines an operator $P(B)$ by Hilbert-space Riesz representation theorem, withIn particular $0\le P(B)\le I$ and $P(B)$ is self-adjoint. We now verify the projection identity rather than assume it.

For continuous $f$, uniqueness of the representing measure applied to continuous test functions givesThese identities imply $P(B)\pi (f)=\pi (f)P(B)$. Testing once more against a continuous $g$ givesThe restriction $1_B{\mu }_{x,y}$ of a finite regular Borel measure is still regular, so uniqueness in Riesz-Markov-Kakutani yields ${\mu }_{P(B)x,y}=1_B{\mu }_{x,y}$. Consequently, for any Borel $C$,Taking $C=B$ proves that $P(B)$ is an orthogonal projection. Also $P(K)=I$ and $P(\varnothing )=0$. For disjoint $B_j$, these projections are orthogonal, and scalar countable additivity gives weak countable additivity. If $B={\bigcup }_j{B}_j$, then $R_N=P(B)-{\sum }_{j\le N}P(B_j)$ is the projection of the remaining union andThus countable additivity holds in the strong operator topology. The scalar measures are the regular measures already constructed. This completes the scalar-measure construction of a projection-valued measure.

By the integral theorem permitted in the question, continuous $f$ satisfies $⟨(\int fdP)x,y⟩=\int fd{\mu }_{x,y}=⟨\pi (f)x,y⟩$, and hence $\int fdP=\pi (f)$. For $T\in A$, this proves the spectral theorem for a commutative operator algebra:Any other regular resolution giving these integrals has the same scalar integrals on all of $C(K)$; Riesz-Markov-Kakutani uniqueness forces the same scalar measures and therefore the same projections on every Borel set.

For nonempty open $U\subset K$, compact Hausdorff normality supplies a nonzero continuous function $f$ supported in $U$. If $P(U)=0$, the stated squared-norm identity for spectral integrals gives $\pi (f)=\int fdP=0$, contradicting the isometry of $\pi$. This proves the full support of a faithful spectral measure propertyFaithfulness of the representation is essential here.

The spectral theorem for normal operators says that a bounded normal operator $T$ on a nonzero complex Hilbert space has a unique regular projection-valued measure $E$ on $\sigma (T)$ such that $T=\int zdE(z)$. Its support is all of $\sigma (T)$, and bounded Borel functions have the associated Borel functional calculus for a normal operator.

For the proof sketch, $A=C^{\ast }(I,T)$ is commutative because $T$ commutes with $T^{\ast }$; polynomials in these two operators commute, as do their norm limits. The map ${\Phi }_A\to \sigma (T)$, $\phi \mapsto \phi (T)$, is onto by the character of an algebra formula and spectral permanence for C-star algebras. It is one-to-one because a character of an algebra preserves the star operation and its values on $T,T^{\ast }$ determine it on their dense polynomial algebra. It is therefore a homeomorphism from compact ${\Phi }_A$ to the Hausdorff spectrum. Transport the resolution just constructed through this homeomorphism. It gives the formula for $T$ and full support; conversely a regular resolution for $T$ gives the same integrals for polynomials in $T,T^{\ast }$, hence by density the same continuous functional calculus and the same resolution. This argument works without separability of $H$.

Finally choose disjoint nonempty relatively open sets $U,V\subset \sigma (T)$ around two distinct spectral points, and put $Q=E(U)$. Full support gives $Q\ne 0$ and $E(V)\ne 0$, while $QE(V)=0$, so $Q\ne I$. The spectral integral, or multiplicativity of its Borel calculus with $1_U$, gives $QT=TQ$ and also $Q{T}^{\ast }=T^{\ast }Q$. Thus $Y=QH$ is closed, nonzero and proper, and $T(Qx)=Q(Tx)\in Y$. The spectral projection gives a reducing subspace conclusion isIn fact it is a reducing subspace, since it is also invariant under $T^{\ast }$.

By the Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem, the continuous dual space of $C(K)$ is isometrically the space of finite regular Borel measures, signed for real scalars and complex for complex scalars:Here $|\mu |$ is the variation measure, whose total mass is the total variation norm of a measure.

If $f_n\rightharpoonup 0$ in $C(K)$, evaluation at each $t\in K$ gives $f_n(t)\to 0$. The Uniform boundedness principle also gives $M={\sup }_n\Vert f_n{\Vert }_{\infty }<\infty$. For any $\mu \in M(K)$, the dominated convergence theorem with respect to the finite positive measure $|\mu |$ yieldssince $|f_n(t){|}^2\to 0$ pointwise and $|f_n(t){|}^2\le M^2$. ThusThe same proof works for complex squares, because the absolute-value domination remains valid.

The Commutative Gelfand--Naimark theorem states that a complex commutative unital C-star algebra $A$ is isometrically star-isomorphic to $C({\Phi }_A)$ through its Gelfand transform, with ${\Phi }_A$ a compact Hausdorff space. The l-infinity sequence space is such an algebra under coordinatewise multiplication and conjugation, with the supremum norm. Thereforegives the required isometric isomorphism.

Uniqueness as a Banach space representation uses the Banach–Stone theorem, rather than just uniqueness as an algebra representation. To justify the relevant theorem, the Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem givesthe extreme points of the dual unit ball of C(K). A norm-one measure whose variation measure is not concentrated at one point splits into two normalized restrictions to disjoint sets of positive variation, and so is not extreme. Conversely, equality in the variation bound shows that any decomposition of $\alpha {\delta }_t$ into the average of two dual-unit-ball elements forces both to be $\alpha {\delta }_t$: after removing the phase, the two measures must be positive and their average is concentrated at $t$.

If $U:C(K)\to C(L)$ is a surjective linear isometry, its dual map preserves these extreme points and their scalar orbits. Hence $U^{\ast }{\delta }_s=u(s){\delta }_{h(s)}$ for a bijection $h:L\to K$ and $|u(s)|=1$. Evaluating at $1$ gives the continuous function $u=U1$, whileshows that $h$ is continuous, since continuous functions determine the topology of a compact Hausdorff space. It is consequently a homeomorphism. Thus any other compact space representing ${\ell }^{\infty }$ is homeomorphic to this $K$. The Banach–Stone theorem is also stated in Leonard Tomczak's notes on András Zsák's functional analysis lectures.

Embed $\mathbb{N}$ by the evaluation characters $\iota (n)(a)=a_n$. They are distinct because the coordinate indicator functions $e_n$ distinguish them. Moreover, $e_n^2=e_n$, so every character has $\chi (e_n)\in \{0,1\}$. If $\chi (e_n)=1$, thenand hence $\chi =\iota (n)$. It follows that $\{\iota (n)\}=\{\chi :|\chi (e_n)-1|<1/2\}$ is open in $K$. Thus $\iota$ is a homeomorphism from the discrete natural numbers onto its image.

To prove density, suppose $D=\overline{\iota (\mathbb{N})}\ne K$. The Urysohn lemma provides a nonzero $v\in C(K)$ vanishing on $D$. Write $v=\Gamma (a)$. Then $a_n=v(\iota (n))=0$ for all $n$, so $a=0$ and $v=0$, a contradiction. Every bounded function $b:\mathbb{N}\to \mathbb{C}$ is an element of ${\ell }^{\infty }$, and $\Gamma (b)$ is its continuous extension to $K$. Density makes this extension unique. ThereforeThis identifies $K$ with the Stone-Čech compactification of the natural numbers.

The Mazur theorem states that the weak closure and norm closure of a convex set $C$ in a normed vector space coincide:Norm closure is contained in weak closure because the weak topology is coarser. Conversely, if $x\notin {\overline{C}}^{\Vert \cdot \Vert }$, the Hahn-Banach separation theorem provides a continuous real linear functional strictly separating $x$ from that closed convex set. In a complex space this is the real part of a continuous complex linear functional. A weak neighborhood of $x$ then misses $C$, so $x\notin {\overline{C}}^w$. This proves the equality. It also gives the usual Mazur lemma: if $x_n\rightharpoonup x$, then $x$ lies in the norm closure of the convex hull of each tail, so one can choose tail convex combinations $y_n$ with $\Vert y_n-x\Vert <1/n$.

Now let $K$ be a weakly compact set in a normed space $X$. Each $\phi \in X^{\ast }$ is bounded on $K$ because it is weakly continuous. The family $\{Jx:x\in K\}$ in $\mathcal{B}(X^{\ast },\mathbb{F})$, where $J$ is the canonical embedding into the bidual, is therefore pointwise bounded. The space $X^{\ast }$ is Banach even if $X$ is not. Apply the Uniform boundedness principle and use $\Vert Jx\Vert =\Vert x\Vert$ to obtainThis proves that a weakly compact set is norm bounded without assuming completeness of the original space.

For the real-valued dual and integral formulas that follow, take $X$ to be real, as in the PDF. In a complex space the norming formula uses real parts, and the integral identities use complex-valued functionals instead.

If the separable Banach space $X$ is nonzero, choose a norm-dense sequence $(u_n)$ in its unit sphere. By the Hahn-Banach theorem, choose ${\phi }_n\in X^{\ast }$ with $\Vert {\phi }_n\Vert =1$ and ${\phi }_n(u_n)=1$. For any unit vector $u$, arbitrarily close $u_n$ satisfyScaling gives the countable norming family identityFor $X=\{0\}$ use the constant sequence of zero functionals. If $f:\Omega \to X$ is norm-Borel measurable, every ${\phi }_n\circ f$ is measurable, so its countable supremum $\Vert f(\cdot )\Vert$ is measurable. Equivalently, this also follows directly from continuity of the norm.

For any $\phi \in X^{\ast }$, continuity makes $\phi \circ f$ measurable, andThus the assumed integrability of the norm implies scalar integrability, anddefines a bounded linear functional on $X^{\ast }$. Use the granted weak-star continuity of $T_f$. By the continuous dual of a weak-star topology, $T_f$ is evaluation at a vector of $X$. Indeed, continuity gives finitely many $x_1,\dots ,x_m$ and $\epsilon >0$ such that $|T_f(\phi )|<1$ whenever $|\phi (x_j)|<\epsilon$ for all $j$. Scaling shows that $T_f$ vanishes on the common kernel of these evaluations. It therefore factors through their finite-dimensional coordinate map, so $T_f(\phi )={\sum }_j{a}_j\phi (x_j)=\phi ({\sum }_j{a}_j{x}_j)$. The Hahn-Banach theorem makes this representing vector unique. HenceIn this separable setting the vector is the Bochner integral.

Return to a weakly compact set $K\subseteq X$ and its inclusion $f:K\to X$. For each fixed $a\in X$, the identity $\Vert x-a\Vert ={\sup }_n{\phi }_n(x-a)$ makes $x\mapsto \Vert x-a\Vert$ weakly Borel measurable. Norm balls are consequently weakly Borel measurable. Separability gives a countable base of such balls, so every norm-open set is weakly Borel measurable. This proves measurability of $f$, and establishes the equality of the weak and norm Borel sigma-algebras in a separable Banach space.

Put $M={\sup }_{x\in K}\Vert x\Vert <\infty$. For every finite signed Borel measure $\mu$ on $K$,For positive measures this is the integral in the question. For signed measures, the correct integrability condition uses the variation measure; define the integral by taking the difference of the positive and negative integrals. The printed $\Omega$ in this clause should be $K$, the domain of the inclusion.

The Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem now defines the bounded linear mapFor each $\phi \in X^{\ast }$ the restriction $\phi {|}_K$ is in $C(K)$, andThe right side is weak-star continuous in $\mu$. The defining property of the weak topology therefore proves that $T$ is weak-star-to-weak continuous, for arbitrary nets. For a Dirac measure, $\boxed{T({\delta }_x)=x}$.

If $K\ne \varnothing$, let $\mathcal{P}(K)$ be its regular probability measures. This is a weak-star closed subset of $B_{C(K{)}^{\ast }}$: its conditions are $\mu (1)=1$ and $\mu (g)\ge 0$ for every nonnegative $g\in C(K)$. It is compact by Banach-Alaoglu theorem. Thus $T(\mathcal{P}(K))$ is weakly compact and convex, and contains $K$ because it contains all $T({\delta }_x)$. It is weakly closed, hence norm closed, so it contains $C={\overline{\mathrm{conv}K}}^{\Vert \cdot \Vert }$. By Mazur theorem, $C$ is weakly closed. Therefore it is a closed subset of the weakly compact set $T(\mathcal{P}(K))$, provingThe empty case is immediate. In fact $T(\mathcal{P}(K))=C$: a barycenter of a measure on a Banach space outside $C$ would be strictly separated by a functional $\phi$, contradicting $\phi (T(\mu ))={\int }_K\phi d\mu \le {\sup }_K\phi$.

Each component of a finite vector measure is absolutely continuous with respect to its variation measure. The Radon-Nikodym theorem gives a vector density $\sigma$. Taking the variation measure of this representation gives $|\mu |=|\sigma ||\mu |$, hence the unit-length property. For a BV derivative this separates the magnitude of variation from its local direction.

A finite positive Borel measure on a compact Hausdorff space is regular when its values on Borel sets can be approximated from inside by compact sets and from outside by open sets. For signed or complex measures require this property of the variation measure. These are the measures representing the continuous dual space of $C(K)$ in the Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem.

A signed measure is a countably additive real-valued set function, allowing negative values. A finite signed measure has a variation measure, whose total mass is its total variation norm of a measure.

For a positive Borel measure on a topological space, the support consists of the points whose every open neighborhood has positive measure. For a finite regular complex measure use its variation measure. Regularity makes the complement of the support null: compact subsets of that open complement have finite covers by null neighborhoods. A regular probability measure on a compact Hausdorff space whose support is a single point is therefore a Dirac measure.

The total variation norm of a finite signed or complex measure is the total mass of its variation measure. Under the Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem, it equals the norm of the corresponding member of $C(K{)}^{\ast }$.