[Math] Lebesgue Integral of an Indicator Function using Measure Theory

probability theoryproof-verification

Let $X$ be a random variable on $\Omega$ and fix $c \in \mathbb{R}$. I recently saw the following in a calculation:
$$
\int_{\Omega} \mathbb{I}_{(c,\infty)}(X(\omega)) dP(\omega) = P(X \geq c).
$$
I thought I'd try to apply what I've learned in measure theory to make sense of this, so please let me know if the following is correct.

Let $(\Omega, \mathcal{F}, P)$ be a probability space and $X$ a random variable. For fixed $c \in \mathbb{R}$ define the function $g : \mathbb{R} \to \{0,1\}$ by $g(x) = \mathbb{I}_{(c,\infty)}(x)$. Let $P \circ X^{-1}$ be the pushforward measure on $(\mathbb{R},\mathcal{B})$; that is, $P \circ X^{-1}(A) = P(X \in A)$ for all $A \in \mathcal{B}$ . Note $g$ is intergrable w.r.t. $P \circ X^{-1}$ since $(c,\infty) \in \mathcal{B}$ and $P \circ X^{-1}$ is a finite measure. Then by the change of variables formula, $g \circ X: \Omega \to \{0,1\}$ is integrable w.r.t. $P$. Hence,
\begin{align*}
\int_{\Omega} \mathbb{I}_{(c,\infty)}(X(\omega)) dP(\omega) & = \int_{\mathbb{R}} \mathbb{I}_{(c,\infty)}(x) d(P\circ X^{-1})(x) & \qquad (1) \\
& = (P \circ X^{-1})\left((c,\infty)\right) & \qquad (2) \\
& = P(X > c), & \qquad (3)
\end{align*}
where the first line is due to the change of variables formula, the second is the definition of the integral of an indicator function and the third is the definition of the pushforward measure.

Best Answer

Do yo mean to allow equality $X(\omega)=c$, or only the strict inequality $X(\omega)>c$? The argument is the same in either case, but you have two different sets in your question (one allowing $X(\omega)=c$, the other requiring strict inequality). You don't need anything about pushforwards or change of variables. Your composite function $\mathbf{1}_{(c,\infty)}\circ X:\Omega\to\mathbf{R}$ is in fact equal to the characteristic function $\mathbf{1}_{\{\omega\in \Omega:X(\omega)>c\}}$. (Check this!) Since $X$ is a measurable function by definition, the set $\{\omega\in\Omega:X(\omega)>c\}=X^{-1}((c,\infty))$ is measurable, so the characteristic function of this set is measurable and its integral is equal to the measure of the set in question.

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