Measure Theory – Calculating a Lebesgue Integral Involving the Cantor Function

measure-theory

I came across the following challenging problem that concerns evaluating a Lebesgue integral rather than being asked to prove something about it:

Let $\varphi: [0,1] \rightarrow [0,1]$ be the Cantor (ternary) function, and let $m_\varphi$ be the Lebesgue-Stieltjess measure associated to it. Let $f(x) = x$. Evaluate $$\int_{[0,1]} f \; dm_\varphi.$$

A friend of mine suggested that if you study this integral in Mathematica, its value is fairly large, but I am having trouble thinking of how to proceed in computing the value without a computer algebra package. I post this question in hopes that anyone visiting will find the problem curious too, and to see if anyone visiting had some suggestions on how to proceed in computation.

Best Answer

The value of the integral is $\frac{1}{2}$, by symmetry.

Notice that $\varphi(1-x) = 1 - \varphi(x)$. From this, it is easy to show that the Cantor measure $m_\varphi$ is invariant under the transformation $x \mapsto 1-x$. Thus $$\int x\, m_\varphi(dx) = \int (1-x)\, m_\varphi(dx) = 1 - \int x\,m_\varphi(dx).$$