Paper 4, Section II, K

Probability and Measure
Part II, 2019

(a) Let (Xn)n1\left(X_{n}\right)_{n \geqslant 1} and XX be real random variables with finite second moment on a probability space (Ω,F,P)(\Omega, \mathcal{F}, \mathbb{P}). Assume that XnX_{n} converges to XX almost surely. Show that the following assertions are equivalent:

(i) XnXX_{n} \rightarrow X in L2\mathbf{L}^{2} as nn \rightarrow \infty

(ii) E(Xn2)E(X2)\mathbb{E}\left(X_{n}^{2}\right) \rightarrow \mathbb{E}\left(X^{2}\right) as nn \rightarrow \infty.

(b) Suppose now that Ω=(0,1),F\Omega=(0,1), \mathcal{F} is the Borel σ\sigma-algebra of (0,1)(0,1) and P\mathbb{P} is Lebesgue measure. Given a Borel probability measure μ\mu on R\mathbb{R} we set

Xμ(ω)=inf{xRFμ(x)ω}X_{\mu}(\omega)=\inf \left\{x \in \mathbb{R} \mid F_{\mu}(x) \geqslant \omega\right\}

where Fμ(x):=μ((,x])F_{\mu}(x):=\mu((-\infty, x]) is the distribution function of μ\mu and ωΩ\omega \in \Omega.

(i) Show that XμX_{\mu} is a random variable on (Ω,F,P)(\Omega, \mathcal{F}, \mathbb{P}) with law μ\mu.

(ii) Let (μn)n1\left(\mu_{n}\right)_{n \geqslant 1} and ν\nu be Borel probability measures on R\mathbb{R} with finite second moments. Show that

E((XμnXν)2)0 as n\mathbb{E}\left(\left(X_{\mu_{n}}-X_{\nu}\right)^{2}\right) \rightarrow 0 \text { as } n \rightarrow \infty

if and only if μn\mu_{n} converges weakly to ν\nu and x2dμn(x)\int x^{2} d \mu_{n}(x) converges to x2dν(x)\int x^{2} d \nu(x) as nn \rightarrow \infty

[You may use any theorem proven in lectures as long as it is clearly stated. Furthermore, you may use without proof the fact that μn\mu_{n} converges weakly to ν\nu as nn \rightarrow \infty if and only if XμnX_{\mu_{n}} converges to XνX_{\nu} almost surely.]