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A Borel probability measure is a Borel measure with total mass one. On a compact metric space it is determined by its integrals against continuous functions. On that compact metric space, the family of Borel probability measures is compact for weak convergence of probability measures.

The bounded-Lipschitz metric tests probability measures against a uniformly bounded Lipschitz class. It metrizes weak convergence of probability measures on separable metric spaces. With a complete compatible base metric, it is complete on the probability measures of a Polish space. Replacing the sum norm by the maximum norm changes the metric only by uniform constant factors.

On a compact metric space, every sequence of Borel probability measures has a subsequence with weak convergence of probability measures to a Borel probability measure. To see this, choose a countable uniformly dense subset of continuous functions, extract a diagonal subsequence of their bounded integrals, and extend the resulting positive normalized functional to all continuous functions. The Riesz representation theorem supplies its Borel probability measure. This is useful for constructing an invariant measure from orbit empirical measures.

The characteristic function of a Dyadic Rademacher series is $\sin t/t$, interpreted as one at zero. The characteristic function of a sum of independent variables gives the finite cosine products, and weak convergence of probability measures gives their displayed limit for every real $t$. This argument includes zeros of the sinc function without taking logarithms of the factors.

For independent Rademacher random variables, this series converges absolutely on every sign sequence and has the uniform distribution on $[-1,1]$. Its first $n$ terms are uniform on the $2^n$ midpoints of equal subintervals of $[-1,1]$, giving weak convergence of probability measures by Riemann sums. The remaining tail has absolute value at most $2^{-n}$, and its mean square is $4^{-n}/3$ by independence. Thus convergence is also almost surely and in $L^2$.

If the initial one-spin set $F$ is finite on the square lattice, voter-model duality gives $P({\xi }_t(x)=1)={\sum }_{z\in F}{p}_t(x,z)\to 0$. The transition probabilities tend to zero on this infinite lattice; their Fourier transform also proves the limit of a sequence by dominated convergence. A union bound on any finite set of observation sites then proves weak convergence of probability measures to the all-zero point mass in the product topology.

A probability measure is invariant for a Markov process with transition semigroup $P_t$ when starting with that law gives the same law at every later time. Equivalently, $\int P_{t}fd\nu =\int fd\nu$ for every bounded measurable function. Invariant laws may be constructed by weak convergence of probability measures of evolved laws when the Feller semigroup property permits passing the semigroup through the limit, as for the extremal invariant measures of the contact process.

For probability measures ${\mu }_n,\mu$ on the real line with finite second moments, $W_2({\mu }_n,\mu )\to 0$ exactly when ${\mu }_n$ converges weakly to $\mu$ and their second moments converge. The common-quantile coupling is optimal and satisfies

For probability measures on a metric space, weak convergence of probability measures ${\mu }_n\Rightarrow \mu$ means $\int fd{\mu }_n\to \int fd\mu$ for every bounded continuous real function $f$. On the real line it is equivalently convergence of the cumulative distribution functions at every continuity point of the limiting cumulative distribution function. Bounded continuous upper and lower approximations to interval indicators give one direction; a partition at continuity points, uniform approximation on a compact interval, and control of the tails give the reverse direction.

For a probability measure $\mu$ on $\mathbb{R}$, its characteristic function is ${\phi }_{\mu }(t)=\int e^{itx}\mu (dx)$. The Lévy continuity theorem states: ${\mu }_n\Rightarrow \mu$ implies ${\phi }_{{\mu }_n}(t)\to {\phi }_{\mu }(t)$ for every real $t$; conversely, if these characteristic functions have a pointwise limit $\phi$ which is continuous at zero, there is a unique probability measure $\mu$ with characteristic function $\phi$, and ${\mu }_n\Rightarrow \mu$. In particular, for a specified limiting probability measure, weak convergence is equivalent to pointwise convergence of its characteristic functions.

The forward implication follows by testing cosine and sine. The dominated convergence theorem shows that every characteristic function is continuous at zero and has value one there. For the converse, first establish tightness of probability measures. By Fubini's theorem, for $h>0$,The integrand on the right is at least $1/2$ when $|x|\ge 2/h$. This proves the characteristic-function tightness boundThe integrals converge for each $h$ by dominated convergence, and continuity of $\phi$ at zero makes the limit as small as desired by choosing $h$ small. Thus all sufficiently late measures have a common tail bound; the finitely many earlier measures also have small tails once the radius is increased. This is uniform tightness of probability measures.

We give the required compactness argument explicitly. For any subsequence, choose a further diagonal subsequence whose cumulative distribution functions $F_n$ converge at every rational $q$, to $f(q)$. DefineThis function is nondecreasing and right-continuous: given a rational $q>x$ with $f(q)$ close to $F(x)$, the same bound holds for $F(y)$ when $x<y<q$. Tightness gives $F(-\infty )=0$ and $F(+\infty )=1$, so $F$ is a cumulative distribution function of a probability measure $\nu$. For rationals $r<x<s$, $F_n(r)\le F_n(x)\le F_n(s)$. The limits bracket $F(x-)$ and $F(x)$; at a continuity point of $F$ they coincide. Thus $F_n(x)\to F(x)$ at all such points. To obtain weak convergence, choose a compact interval with small tails and partition it using continuity points of $F$. A bounded continuous function is uniformly continuous there, so step-function approximations and convergence of interval probabilities prove convergence of its integral. This proves Helly selection for distribution functions and supplies a weak subsequential limit $\nu$.

Its characteristic function is $\phi$ by the already proved forward implication. We also prove uniqueness rather than assume it. If two probability measures $\nu ,\rho$ have the same characteristic function, convolve each with a centered normal distribution of variance ${\epsilon }^2>0$. Their densities are, by the Gaussian integral and Fubini's theorem,and likewise for $\rho$. The integrable Gaussian factor justifies exchanging the integrals, so these densities agree. For every bounded continuous $f$, letting $\epsilon \downarrow 0$ in $\int \mathbb{E}[f(x+\epsilon Z)]\nu (dx)$, with $Z$ a standard normal random variable, gives $\int fd\nu$ by bounded convergence theorem. Hence the two measures have equal integrals against all these test functions, and approximating interval indicators shows $\nu =\rho$. This proves the uniqueness theorem for characteristic functions.

Every subsequence therefore has a further subsequence weakly converging to the same unique $\mu$. If the original sequence failed weak convergence, some bounded continuous test function would have a subsequence of integrals staying a fixed distance from its integral under $\mu$, contradicting that further convergence. This completes both directions of the theorem. Continuity at zero is essential: the laws $N(0,n)$ have pointwise limiting characteristic function zero away from zero and one at zero, and are not tight.

For the finite probability distribution, put ${\xi }_j=(X_j+1)/2$. These are independent fair zero-one variables, andThe binary integer ${\sum }_{j=1}^n{2}^{n-j}{\xi }_j$ is uniform on $\{0,\dots ,2^n-1\}$. HenceThese are the midpoints of $2^n$ equal subintervals of $[-1,1]$. For every bounded continuous $f$, the Riemann sums giveThus $\boxed{Y_n\Rightarrow \mathrm{Unif}[-1,1]}$ in the sense of weak convergence of probability measures.

For the almost-sure and $L^2$ assertions, the Dyadic Rademacher series $Y={\sum }_{j\ge 1}{2}^{-j}{X}_j$ converges absolutely on every sign sequence, since $|X_j|=1$. Its tail satisfies $|Y-Y_n|\le 2^{-n}$, proving almost sure convergence and convergence in L2. More precisely, zero means and independence eliminate the cross terms:This identity follows first for finite tails and then by dominated convergence. Bounded continuous test functions and bounded convergence theorem identify the probability distribution of $Y$ with the weak limit above, namely the uniform distribution on $[-1,1]$.

For the requested product identity, each Rademacher random variable has characteristic function $\mathbb{E}{e}^{it{X}_j}=\cos t$. The characteristic function of a sum of independent variables therefore yieldsBy part (a), or directly by bounded convergence theorem, this converges to the characteristic function of a uniform distribution, $\frac{1}{2}{\int }_{-1}^1{e}^{itx}dx=\sin t/t$. Consequently the dyadic cosine product isBoth sides are one at zero. At zeros of the sinc function the identity is understood as the limit of the finite products, so no logarithm or division by a vanishing factor is needed.

With the inner boundary specified in the PDF, the Ising boundary condition pins $\omega {|}_{\partial \Lambda }=\zeta$. Explicitly ${\mu }_{\Lambda }^{\zeta }$ is ${\mu }_{\Lambda }$ conditioned on those Ising spins. Its partition function sums over unpinned interior Ising spins only; edges between two pinned sites contribute a constant that cancels on normalization.

Pinning coordinates preserves the FKG lattice condition, since meet in a lattice and join in a lattice still have the same pinned values. It also gives monotonicity in the pins. For any increasing observable $f$, positive association of random variables with an unpinned Ising spin $\omega (z)$ givesBoth conditional probabilities are positive. The same inequality holds after other Ising spins have been pinned. Changing pins one at a time proves stochastic domination of the measures as $\zeta$ increases.

Now let $\Lambda \subset {\Lambda }^{\prime }$ and take an increasing observable depending on a fixed set inside the smaller box. Given the Ising spins on $\partial \Lambda$, the larger-box measure induces precisely the smaller-box interior law with those boundary values: nearest-neighbor interactions cannot see farther once this boundary is fixed. Its conditional law is therefore between the all-zero and all-one smaller-box laws. Averaging yieldsThese are bounded monotone sequences along any increasing box exhaustion.

For every finite set $S$, the event that all Ising spins in $S$ are one is increasing, so its probability converges in both boundary sequences. Probabilities of arbitrary finite zero/one patterns are finite inclusion-exclusion combinations of these all-one probabilities, and hence converge too. The limits are consistent finite-dimensional distributions; they define measures on $\{0,1{\}}^{{\mathbb{Z}}^d}$ and give weak convergence of probability measures in the product topology. Thus both extremal infinite-volume Ising measures ${\mu }^0,{\mu }^1$ exist, with ${\mu }^0$ below ${\mu }^1$ in stochastic domination. This argument proves existence even when the two limits are different.

Write $\varphi ={\varphi }_{p,q}^1$ and $C_n=\varphi (0\leftrightarrow e_n)$. We use these standard facts about the infinite-volume wired random-cluster measure for $q\ge 1$: it is translation invariant and invariant under coordinate reflections/permutations; it has positive association of the random-cluster model; and every conditional edge-open probability is at leastThe last bound follows because an edge either leaves its component count unchanged on opening, giving probability $p$, or merges two components, giving $p/(p+q(1-p))$. These are standard infinite-volume properties of the limit obtained from the finite wired laws by weak convergence of probability measures. Positive association of random variables applies to connection events by increasing approximation with finite-path events.

Opening the $n$ edges of the straight segment gives $C_n\ge r^n$, so its logarithm is finite. The events $A=\{0\leftrightarrow e_m\}$ and $B=\{e_m\leftrightarrow e_{m+n}\}$ are increasing, and their intersection implies connection to $e_{m+n}$. ThusThe sequence $a_n=-\log C_n$ is a subadditive sequence, with $0\le a_n\le -n\log r$. Part (a) proves the random-cluster inverse correlation length exists and is finite:Since $a_n/n\ge \alpha$ for every $n$, exponentiating yields the requested bound

In the voter model on ${\mathbb{Z}}^2$, each site has a rate-one Poisson process clock; when it rings, that site copies one of its four neighbors, chosen uniformly. States are zero or one. For a cylinder function $f$, the local infinitesimal generator iswhere ${\eta }^{x\leftarrow y}$ agrees with $\eta$ except that the voter model opinion at $x$ is replaced by the voter model opinion at $y$. Only sites in the support of $f$ contribute, so this infinitesimal generator sum is finite.

The voter-model duality comes from independent Poisson processes of copying arrows of rate $1/4$ on each ordered neighboring pair. Trace the ancestors of specified sites backwards from time $t$: each ancestral line is a rate-one continuous-time random walk with uniform nearest-neighbor steps, and lines coalesce when they meet. The voter model opinions at time $t$ are the initial voter model opinions at those ancestral locations. This construction also explains the general duality theorem being used.

Two ancestral walks on ${\mathbb{Z}}^2$ meet almost surely. Until their meeting, their difference is a rate-two symmetric nearest-neighbor walk, and simple random walk in two dimensions is recurrent. If ${\tau }_{xy}$ is their meeting time, this givesfor every initial law $\nu$. If $\nu$ is invariant, the left side is the fixed probability $\nu (\eta (x)\ne \eta (y))$, so it is zero. This holds for every pair. Countability then implies that $\nu$ is concentrated on configurations with all voter model opinions equal. Both constant configurations are absorbing state. Thus the invariant measures of the two-dimensional voter model are exactlyNo translation-invariance assumption on $\nu$ was used.

For the last assertion, let the initial set of one-valued opinions $F$ be finite. Single-line duality givesEach transition probability tends to zero. One direct verification is the Fourier transform for the rate-one walk:The integrand has modulus at most one and tends to zero except at the single point $k=0$; dominated convergence proves the claim. For any finite observation set $K$, the union bound now givesTherefore every finite voter model opinion pattern converges in law to the all-zero pattern. These cylinder distributions determine weak convergence of probability measures in the compact product topology, proving finite-seed local extinction in the voter model and

Use recovery rate one and infection rate $\lambda$ along each directed nearest-neighbour edge. The graphical representation of the contact process places independent rate-one recovery marks at graph vertices and rate-$\lambda$ arrows on directed edges. Infection travels along time-directed paths following arrows and avoiding recovery marks. The same clocks couple all initial configurations and preserve coordinatewise order. Denote its semigroup by $P_t$.

The empty configuration is absorbing, so the lower invariant measure is $\underline{\nu }={\delta }_0$. To construct the upper one, put ${\mu }_t={\delta }_1{P}_t$, where $1$ is the all-infected configuration. Since ${\delta }_1{P}_s{\le }_{\mathrm{st}}{\delta }_1$, order preservation and the semigroup property implyThus these laws decrease in stochastic order. More concretely, use clocks on the entire time axis and start from all infected at time $-t$, looking at the configuration at time zero. These configurations decrease pointwise as $t$ increases: an infection arriving from an earlier start is also obtainable from the all-infected later start. Each coordinate therefore has a limit. Their joint law $\overline{\nu }$ satisfies ${\mu }_t\to \overline{\nu }$ in weak convergence of probability measures on the compact product space.

This limit is invariant. The graphical construction is Feller: for finitely many sites and a bounded time interval, the backward ancestor exploration is almost surely finite, since its size is dominated by a finite-rate branching process. Hence a cylinder function evolved for a fixed time is continuous in the initial configuration, by approximation with finite ancestor sets. Cylinder functions uniformly approximate continuous functions on the product space. We may therefore pass to the limit into get $\overline{\nu }{P}_s=\overline{\nu }$. These are indeed the extremal invariant measures of the contact process: if $\nu$ is any invariant probability law of a Markov process, apply $P_t$ to ${\delta }_0{\le }_{\mathrm{st}}\nu {\le }_{\mathrm{st}}{\delta }_1$ and take limits to obtain $\underline{\nu }{\le }_{\mathrm{st}}\nu {\le }_{\mathrm{st}}\overline{\nu }$.

For the relation with survival, reverse the graphical paths in the interval $[0,t]$, also reversing arrows. The law is unchanged because the rates are symmetric between neighbours. The set of ancestors of a site $x$ has the law of the contact process started from $\{x\}$. ConsequentlyThis is duality of the contact process. The events on the right decrease with time because the empty state is absorbing, and their limiting probability is $\theta (\lambda )$. It follows thatIf $\theta (\lambda )=0$, every coordinate is zero almost surely under $\overline{\nu }$; a countable union over the sites gives $\overline{\nu }={\delta }_0=\underline{\nu }$. Conversely, if the two invariant measures coincide, this one-site marginal is zero, so $\theta (\lambda )=0$. HenceA convention that divides the infection rate by the degree only rescales the parameter; the argument and equivalence are unchanged.

On the real line, Prohorov's theorem states that a sequence of probability measures is uniformly tight if and only if every subsequence has a further subsequence converging weakly to a probability measure. Here uniformly tight means that, for every $\epsilon >0$, some compact interval contains mass at least $1-\epsilon$ for every measure in the sequence. This is relative sequential compactness for weak convergence of probability measures, not merely the existence of one convergent subsequence.

We first prove the characteristic-function tail bound. Put $c_0=1-\sin 1>0$. For $y\ne 0$,At $y=0$ the expression is zero by continuity. If $|y|\ge \lambda$, the supplied elementary bound, with $t=|y|/\lambda$, makes it at least $c_0$. The integrand is nonnegative, so Tonelli's theorem yieldsThus one valid universal constant isThe estimate controls spatial tails using only the characteristic function near zero.

Apply it to each ${\mu }_n$. For fixed $\lambda$, pointwise convergence of the characteristic functions and the bound $|{\varphi }_n|\le 1$ allow dominated convergence on the finite integration interval, givingContinuity of a characteristic function and $\varphi (0)=1$ make the last expression tend to zero as $\lambda \to \infty$. Given $\epsilon >0$, choose $\lambda$ making it less than $\epsilon /2$; then for all sufficiently large $n$, the preceding tail is less than $\epsilon$. Enlarge the compact interval to handle the finitely many remaining probability measures. This proves uniform tightness of the whole sequence.

By Prohorov's theorem, every subsequence has a further weakly convergent subsequence, say with limit $\nu$. The real and imaginary parts of $e^{iuy}$ are bounded continuous functions, so along that subsequenceThe uniqueness theorem for characteristic functions implies $\nu =\mu$. All subsequential weak limits are therefore $\mu$. If the original sequence failed to converge weakly to $\mu$, a bounded continuous test function and a subsequence would keep its integrals a fixed distance from the limiting integral; a further weakly convergent subsequence would contradict that. HenceThis supplies the required proof of the Lévy continuity theorem in the stated case.

For the final request, the printed $Q$ is not defined; the intended function is $\varphi$, the characteristic function of a summand. We prove that ${\varphi }^{\prime }(0)=ia$ without assuming integrability. Write $Y_n=S_n/n$. Independence gives $\mathbb{E}{e}^{iu{Y}_n}=\varphi (u/n{)}^n$. Moreover convergence in probability to $a$ implies uniform convergence of these characteristic functions on each bounded frequency interval: for $|u|\le T$ and $\delta >0$,First let $n\to \infty$, then $\delta \downarrow 0$.

The potential logarithm-branch ambiguity needs to be resolved, not discarded. By continuity of $\varphi$ near zero, its principal complex logarithm is defined at $u/n$ for all $|u|\le 1$ and all large $n$, with value zero at $u=0$. Alsouniformly on $[-1,1]$, so $\mathrm{Log}{\Psi }_n(u)\to 0$ uniformly there. The two continuous logarithms differ by an integer multiple of $2\pi i$:That integer is continuous in $u$ and zero at zero, hence identically zero. ConsequentlyFor arbitrary nonzero $h\to 0$, take $n=\lfloor 1/|h|\rfloor$ and $u=nh$. Eventually $1/2\le |u|\le 1$, so dividing the preceding error by $u$ shows $\mathrm{Log}\varphi (h)/h\to ia$. Exponentiating at zero proves the derivative forced by the weak law:This is the weak law forces a characteristic-function derivative argument. Its estimates use bounded exponentials, not $\mathbb{E}|X_1|$. If $X_1$ is integrable, dominated convergence permits differentiation inside the expectation and gives ${\varphi }^{\prime }(0)=i\mathbb{E}{X}_1$, so then $a=\mathbb{E}{X}_1$.

Absolute integrability is genuinely unnecessary. For an explicit weak law without an absolute first moment, take a symmetric variable withwith mass $1-1/e$ at zero and no mass with $0<|X|<e$. This is a valid law: the specified tail decreases from $1/e$ to zero, and its derivative defines the continuous part beyond $e$. Its absolute first moment is infinite because ${\int }_e^{\infty }dx/(x\log x)=\infty$. For independent copies, set $Y_{n,j}=X_j{1}_{\{|X_j|\le n\}}$. Symmetry gives $\mathbb{E}{Y}_{n,j}=0$, and integration of the tail givesFor the last estimate, split the integral at $\sqrt{n}$; the initial part is $O(\sqrt{n})$ and the remainder is at most $2n/\log n$, apart from a fixed initial constant. Chebyshev's inequality now gives $n^{-1}{\sum }_{j\le n}{Y}_{n,j}\to 0$ in probability. The probability that any truncation changes a summand is at most $n\mathbb{P}(|X|>n)=1/\log n\to 0$, so $S_n/n\to 0$ in probability although $\mathbb{E}|X|=\infty$. The derivative is zero, but the usual expectation of $X$ does not exist.

If either the positive or negative part is integrable, the finite weak-law limit does force full integrability. For example, if $\mathbb{E}{X}^{-}<\infty$, then $X\wedge A$ is integrable and its sample averages have the weak law of large numbers limit $\mathbb{E}(X\wedge A)$. Since they are bounded above by the original averages, $\mathbb{E}(X\wedge A)\le a$ for every $A$. Letting $A\to \infty$ shows $\mathbb{E}{X}^{+}<\infty$. The symmetric argument handles the other one-sided hypothesis. The nonintegrable example necessarily has both one-sided expectations infinite.

Let $X_i$ be independent and identically distributed random variables with mean $0$ and variance ${\sigma }^2\in (0,\infty )$, and put $S_0=0$, $S_k={\sum }_{i=1}^k{X}_i$. Define the polygonal interpolationwith the endpoint $W_n(1)=S_n/(\sigma \sqrt{n})$. The Donsker invariance principle stateswhere $B$ is standard one-dimensional Brownian motion and the arrow denotes weak convergence of probability measures on this path space. Equivalently, the step interpolation converges in the Skorokhod space with its $J_1$ topology. The continuous interpolation version is sufficient for the maximum in part (c).

The weak topology of probability measures is the smallest topology making every map $\mu \mapsto \int hd\mu$ continuous for bounded continuous real $h$ on $X$. Define the bounded-Lipschitz metric byUsing the maximum of the two bounds instead of their sum changes the metric by at most a factor of two and gives the same topology. Symmetry and the triangle inequality follow from the supremum formula. Bounded Lipschitz functions distinguish probability measures by the open-set approximations below, so $\beta$ is a metric. On a separable metric space, $\beta$ induces the weak topology.

Here are the essential details. If $\beta ({\mu }_n,\mu )\to 0$, integrals of every bounded Lipschitz function converge after rescaling its Lipschitz bound. For an open set $A\ne X$, the functionsincrease to $1_A$; for $A=X$ take $h_m=1$. Thus $\mu (A)={\sup }_m\int h_{m}d\mu$. It follows both that $\mu \mapsto \mu (A)$ is lower semicontinuous for the weak topology, as a supremum of continuous maps, and that beta convergence impliesThis is the open-set Portmanteau criterion. Its closed-set equivalent, by complements, isEither family of inequalities is necessary and sufficient for weak convergence of probability measures. For sufficiency of the open inequalities, apply the layer-cake formula and Fatou's lemma to the open superlevel sets of a continuous function $0\le h\le 1$, obtaining $\mathrm{liminf}\int hd{\mu }_n\ge \int hd\mu$. Applying the same argument to $1-h$ gives the reverse bound. Scaling handles every bounded continuous function.

Conversely, weak convergence implies beta convergence. Choose a compact set $K$ of arbitrarily large $\mu$-mass, using tightness of a probability measure on a Polish space. The unit bounded-Lipschitz class is uniformly bounded and equicontinuous on $K$, so finitely many of its members approximate all others uniformly there. On the open $\delta$-neighborhood $K^{\delta }$, approximation errors increase by at most $2\delta$. The open-set inequality makes ${\mu }_n(K^{\delta })$ large for all sufficiently large $n$. Weak convergence for the finitely many selected functions, combined with these approximation errors and the small mass outside $K^{\delta }$, bounds the supremum defining $\beta$ by an arbitrarily small number. The same finite-test and open-mass bounds define weak neighborhoods, so the argument gives equality of the topologies, not only their convergent sequences. It does not first assume uniform tightness of the entire sequence.

The map $j=i_{\ast }$ is injective and continuous: for $h\in C(\tilde{X})$, $h\circ i$ is bounded continuous on $X$, and $\int hdj(\mu )=\int h\circ id\mu$. To prove inverse continuity on its image, suppose $j({\mu }_n)\to j(\mu )$. For every open $A\subset X$, there is an open $U\subset \tilde{X}$ with $i(A)=U\cap i(X)$. Hence ${\mu }_n(A)=j({\mu }_n)(U)$ and $\mu (A)=j(\mu )(U)$. The open-set criterion on $\tilde{X}$ now gives the criterion on $X$, so ${\mu }_n\to \mu$. Both spaces are metrizable, and this sequential argument provesThis is the probability pushforward embedding theorem. The printed claim needs the words “onto its image”: it is generally not onto all $P(\tilde{X})$, since a Dirac mass at a point outside $i(X)$ is not in its image. By Question 1, the completely metrizable subspace $i(X)$ is a Borel G-delta set, and

Now let $S$ be weakly closed and uniformly tight. Take any sequence $({\mu }_n)$ in $S$. The space $P(\tilde{X})$ is compact for the weak topology. For completeness, this compactness follows by choosing a countable uniformly dense family in $C(\tilde{X})$, extracting a diagonal subsequence of its bounded integrals, and extending the limits to a positive normalized functional on $C(\tilde{X})$; the Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem gives the limiting probability measure. Thus, along a subsequence, $j({\mu }_n)\to \lambda$.

For every $m$, choose compact $K_m\subset X$ with $\mu (K_m)\ge 1-2^{-m}$ for every $\mu \in S$. The set $i(K_m)$ is compact and closed in $\tilde{X}$, so the closed-set criterion givesTherefore $\lambda (i(X))=1$, and $\lambda =j(\mu )$ for some $\mu \in P(X)$. Inverse continuity gives ${\mu }_n\to \mu$, and closedness puts $\mu \in S$. Hence $S$ is sequentially compact, and metrizability makes it compact. This proves the required closed uniformly tight compactness criterion, rather than assuming it from Prokhorov's theorem.

Such a compact metrizable extension is always available: for a countable dense set $(x_k)$, the coordinates $d(x,x_k)/(1+d(x,x_k))$ embed $X$ homeomorphically into $[0,1{]}^{\mathbb{N}}$. Injectivity and inverse continuity follow by choosing $x_k$ close to a specified point and using the triangle inequality. The closure of the image gives $\tilde{X}$.

To show separability of $P(X)$, use finite sums of Dirac measures on a countable dense subset of $X$ with nonnegative rational weights summing to one. This is a countable family. Given $\mu$, cover a large-mass compact set by finitely many small balls centered in that subset, move the mass in each piece to its center, and move the remaining small mass to one fixed center. The bounded-Lipschitz error is at most the ball radius plus twice the exceptional mass. Approximate the resulting weights by rational weights. Thus these atomic measures are beta-dense.

Finally use a complete compatible metric $d$ on the Polish space $X$, as required for the granted total-boundedness-to-tightness assertion. A beta-Cauchy sequence is beta-totally bounded, and so is its closure in $P(X)$. By the allowed assertion this closure is uniformly tight; it is weakly closed because the weak and beta topologies agree. The compactness result just proved gives a convergent subsequence, and the Cauchy property forces the whole sequence to converge in beta. Consequently beta is complete for this choice of $d$, andIf the originally displayed compatible metric is incomplete, replace it by a complete compatible metric for this last argument; the weak topology itself is unchanged.

The Szemerédi theorem says that for every integer $k\ge 2$ and every $\delta >0$, there is $N_0(k,\delta )$ such that, for $N\ge N_0$, every $A\subseteq \{1,\dots ,N\}$ with $|A|\ge \delta N$ contains a nonconstant arithmetic progressionEquivalently, every subset of the positive integers with positive upper asymptotic density contains arithmetic progressions of every finite length. Length one is immediate.

The Furstenberg multiple recurrence theorem states that for every probability measure-preserving system, every measurable $B$ with $\mu (B)>0$, and every integer $k\ge 2$, there is $n\ge 1$ withHere $T^{-jn}B$ means a preimage, so invertibility is unnecessary. The Furstenberg multiple recurrence theorem also does not assume an ergodic transformation.

We prove the implication to the finite Szemerédi theorem by constructing the Furstenberg correspondence principle explicitly. Suppose, to the contrary, that for fixed $k$ and $\delta >0$ there are $N_{\ell }\to \infty$ and $A_{\ell }\subseteq \{1,\dots ,N_{\ell }\}$ with $|A_{\ell }|\ge \delta N_{\ell }$, but with no length-$k$ arithmetic progression of positive common difference. In the binary full shift $\Omega =\{0,1{\}}^{\mathbb{Z}}$, encode $A_{\ell }$ as $x_j^{(\ell )}=1_{A_{\ell }}(j)$, taking all coordinates outside $A_{\ell }$ to be zero. Let $S$ be the left shift, $(S\omega {)}_j={\omega }_{j+1}$, and setThe cylinder set $C$ is a clopen set, and ${\nu }_{\ell }(C)=|A_{\ell }|/N_{\ell }\ge \delta$. The binary full shift is a compact metric space, so compactness of probability measures on a compact metric space gives a subsequence of these empirical measures with weak convergence of probability measures to a Borel probability measure $\nu$.

For every continuous $h$ on the full shift,Passing to the weak limit shows that $\nu$ is an invariant measure for the continuous left shift. Thus $(\Omega ,\mathcal{B},\nu ,S)$ is a probability measure-preserving system. Since the indicator function of $C$ is continuous, $\nu (C)\ge \delta$.

Apply the Furstenberg multiple recurrence theorem to $C$. For some $n\ge 1$, the clopen sethas $\nu (D)>0$. Its continuous indicator function gives ${\nu }_{\ell }(D)\to \nu (D)>0$. For large $\ell$, at least one $S^a{x}^{(\ell )}$ in the defining empirical measure therefore belongs to $D$. The choice of left shift impliesso $a,a+n,\dots ,a+(k-1)n$ lies in $A_{\ell }$. This contradicts the assumed absence of arithmetic progressions and proves the finite Szemerédi theorem. Applying the finite Szemerédi theorem on intervals where an infinite set has density bounded below proves the stated upper asymptotic density formulation.

For multiple recurrence for circle rotations, write $\mathbb{T}=\mathbb{R}/\mathbb{Z}$ and $R_{\alpha }x=x+\alpha$, with normalized Lebesgue measure $m$, which is the Haar measure of the circle group. Fix a measurable $B\subseteq \mathbb{T}$ with $m(B)>0$ and $k\ge 2$. If $\alpha$ is rational, there is $q\ge 1$ with $R_{\alpha }^q$ the identity, and $n=q$ gives an intersection of measure $m(B)$.

For irrational $\alpha$, the pigeonhole principle applied to $0,\alpha ,\dots ,Q\alpha$ in $Q$ equal arcs gives $1\le n\le Q$ with $\Vert n\alpha {\Vert }_{\mathbb{T}}\le 1/Q$. In particular there are arbitrarily small nonzero returns to zero for the irrational rotation of the circle.

We also need translation continuity in L1 on the circle. Given a measurable $B$, approximate its indicator function in the L1 norm by a continuous $g$ on the circle group. Such approximation follows from regularity of Lebesgue measure, or approximation by finite unions of intervals. Translation invariance and uniform continuity givewhere the approximation error is first made arbitrarily small. Equivalently, $m(B△(B-t))\to 0$.

Choose a return time $n\ge 1$ so small modulo one that for each $1\le j<k$,This is possible because multiplication by each fixed $j$ is continuous on the circle group and translation continuity in L1 on the circle applies to the finitely many translates. The union bound now givesThis proves the Furstenberg multiple recurrence theorem for every circle rotation with its normalized Lebesgue measure, including both rational and irrational angles.

A continuous transformation $T$ of a compact metric space $X$ is uniquely ergodic when there is exactly one $T$-invariant Borel probability measure on $X$. We use the usual compact-space convention for unique ergodicity; the compactness and continuity hypotheses matter in the assertion about all starting points.

Let $R_{\alpha }(x)=x+\alpha (\mathrm{mod}1)$ on the circle group, with $\alpha$ irrational. Normalized Lebesgue measure $m$ is invariant under this irrational rotation of the circle. If $\nu$ is any invariant Borel probability measure, define its Fourier coefficients by $c_k=\int e^{2\pi ikx}d\nu (x)$. Invariance givesFor $k\ne 0$, irrationality makes $e^{2\pi ik\alpha }\ne 1$, so $c_k=0$; also $c_0=1$. These are the Fourier coefficients of $m$. Hence $\nu$ and $m$ have the same integrals against every trigonometric polynomial. Such polynomials are uniformly dense in the continuous functions by the Stone-Weierstrass theorem, so the measures agree on every continuous test function and therefore agree as Borel measures. Thus

For the general uniquely ergodic system, fix $x\in X$ and form the empirical measuresOn a compact metric space, the Borel probability measures are compact for weak convergence of probability measures. Any subsequential limit $\nu$ is invariant: for every continuous $g$,Here $g$ is bounded and $g\circ T$ is continuous, so the identity passes to the limit. Uniqueness of the invariant Borel probability measure gives $\nu =\mu$. Every subsequential limit is therefore $\mu$, and compactness implies convergence of the entire sequence. Testing against $f$ provesIn fact this proves uniform ergodic convergence for uniquely ergodic systems: if convergence were not uniform in $x$, choose $N_j\to \infty$ and $x_j$ where the discrepancy stays above a fixed positive number. The same compactness and telescoping argument applied to ${\nu }_{N_j,x_j}$ forces a subsequence to converge to $\mu$, a contradiction. This also makes clear why an almost-everywhere Birkhoff ergodic theorem alone would not establish the requested everywhere assertion. Without the compact-space hypothesis the assertion need not hold: on the discrete space $\{p\}\bigsqcup {\mathbb{Z}}_{\ge 0}$, set $T(p)=p$ and $T(n)=n+1$. The only invariant probability is ${\delta }_p$, but the continuous bounded function which is zero at $p$ and one on the integer orbit has orbit average one there.

For the decimal application put $\alpha ={\log }_{10}2$. This is irrational: if $\alpha =p/q$ with positive integers $p,q$, then $2^q=10^p=2^p{5}^p$, contradicting unique prime factorization. Writing $n\alpha =m_n+t_n$ with $m_n=\lfloor n\alpha \rfloor$ and $t_n\in [0,1)$ gives $2^n=10^{m_n}10^{t_n}$. Its leading decimal digit is seven exactly whenThe half-open upper endpoint correctly excludes powers whose leading digit is eight, including $2^3=8$.

The indicator of $I$ is not continuous, so an extra step is needed. For any $\epsilon >0$, choose continuous functions $a_{\epsilon },b_{\epsilon }$ on the circle with $0\le a_{\epsilon }\le 1_I\le b_{\epsilon }\le 1$ and $\int (b_{\epsilon }-a_{\epsilon })dm<\epsilon$, by tapering in small neighbourhoods of the two endpoints. Applying the everywhere averaging result to these functions traps the lower and upper limits of the interval frequency between their integrals. Letting $\epsilon \downarrow 0$ proves everywhere interval frequency under an irrational rotation. ConsequentlyThis is the leading-seven case of Benford frequencies for powers of an integer.

Put $M_k=S_k-mk$ as above. Centering the linear interpolation also interpolates the centered values: for $u\in [0,1]$,The absolute value of this convex combination is at most the larger endpoint absolute value. For every fixed $A>0$, part (c) therefore givesHence there is uniform convergence on compacts in probability to the deterministic path $h(t)=mt$, by Markov inequality. Equip $C([0,\infty ),\mathbb{R})$ with its standard compact-open topology, metrized byFor each finite number of terms their suprema converge to zero in probability, and the remaining tail is bounded deterministically by ${\sum }_{j>J}{2}^{-j}$. Thus $d(S^{(N)},h)\to 0$ in probability. Convergence in probability to a deterministic point implies weak convergence of probability measures, so the fluid limit isHere ${\delta }_h$ is the Dirac measure concentrated on that continuous path. The topology is locally uniform convergence; no assertion of uniform convergence over the entire unbounded half-line is needed. The interpolation is intended for integers $k\ge 0$, including the initial interval $[0,1]$. If the PDF's ${\mathbb{Z}}^{+}$ is interpreted as strictly positive integers, that initial piece is omitted from the displayed definition and must be supplied by the same formula using $S_0=0$.