Paper 2, Section II, K

Probability and Measure
Part II, 2019

(a) Let (Xi,Ai)\left(X_{i}, \mathcal{A}_{i}\right) for i=1,2i=1,2 be two measurable spaces. Define the product σ\sigma-algebra A1A2\mathcal{A}_{1} \otimes \mathcal{A}_{2} on the Cartesian product X1×X2X_{1} \times X_{2}. Given a probability measure μi\mu_{i} on (Xi,Ai)\left(X_{i}, \mathcal{A}_{i}\right) for each i=1,2i=1,2, define the product measure μ1μ2\mu_{1} \otimes \mu_{2}. Assuming the existence of a product measure, explain why it is unique. [You may use standard results from the course if clearly stated.]

(b) Let (Ω,F,P)(\Omega, \mathcal{F}, \mathbb{P}) be a probability space on which the real random variables UU and VV are defined. Explain what is meant when one says that UU has law μ\mu. On what measurable space is the measure μ\mu defined? Explain what it means for UU and VV to be independent random variables.

(c) Now let X=[12,12]X=\left[-\frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{2}\right], let A\mathcal{A} be its Borel σ\sigma-algebra and let μ\mu be Lebesgue measure. Give an example of a measure η\eta on the product (X×X,AA)(X \times X, \mathcal{A} \otimes \mathcal{A}) such that η(X×A)=μ(A)=η(A×X)\eta(X \times A)=\mu(A)=\eta(A \times X) for every Borel set AA, but such that η\eta is not Lebesgue measure on X×XX \times X.

(d) Let η\eta be as in part (c) and let I,JXI, J \subset X be intervals of length xx and yy respectively. Show that

x+y1η(I×J)min{x,y}x+y-1 \leqslant \eta(I \times J) \leqslant \min \{x, y\}

(e) Let XX be as in part (c). Fix d2d \geqslant 2 and let Πi\Pi_{i} denote the projection Πi(x1,,xd)=(x1,,xi1,xi+1,,xd)\Pi_{i}\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{d}\right)=\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{i-1}, x_{i+1}, \ldots, x_{d}\right) from XdX^{d} to Xd1X^{d-1}. Construct a probability measure η\eta on XdX^{d}, such that the image under each Πi\Pi_{i} coincides with the (d1)(d-1)-dimensional Lebesgue measure, while η\eta itself is not the dd-dimensional Lebesgue measure. [[ Hint: Consider the following collection of 2d12 d-1 independent random variables: U1,,UdU_{1}, \ldots, U_{d} uniformly distributed on [0,12]\left[0, \frac{1}{2}\right], and ε1,,εd1\varepsilon_{1}, \ldots, \varepsilon_{d-1} such that P(εi=1)=P(εi=1)=12\mathbb{P}\left(\varepsilon_{i}=1\right)=\mathbb{P}\left(\varepsilon_{i}=-1\right)=\frac{1}{2} for each i.]i .]