Measure Theory – Prove Weak Convergence and Measure Convergence Equivalence

general-topologymeasure-theorysigned-measuresweak-convergence

Let

  • $X$ be a metric space,
  • $\mathcal M(X)$ the space of all finite signed Borel measures on $X$,
  • $\mathcal C_b(X)$ be the space of real-valued bounded continuous functions,
  • $\mathcal C_0(X)$ be the space of real-valued continuous functions that vanish at infinity, and
  • $\mathcal C_c(X)$ the space of real-valued continuous functions with compact supports.

Then $\mathcal C_b(X)$ and $\mathcal C_0(X)$ are real Banach space with supremum norm $\|\cdot\|_\infty$. Let $\mu_n,\mu \in \mathcal M(X)$. We define weak convergence by
$$
\mu_n \rightharpoonup \mu \overset{\text{def}}{\iff} \int_X f \mathrm d \mu_n \to \int_X f \mathrm d \mu \quad \forall f \in \mathcal C_b(X),
$$

and weak$^*$ convergence by
$$
\mu_n \overset{*}{\rightharpoonup} \mu \overset{\text{def}}{\iff} \int_X f \mathrm d \mu_n \to \int_X f \mathrm d \mu \quad \forall f \in \mathcal C_c (X).
$$

Below "not-too-hard" theorem is mentioned in this thread, i.e.,

Theorem: $\mu_n \rightharpoonup \mu$ if and only if $\mu_n \overset{*}{\rightharpoonup} \mu$ and $\mu_n (X) \to \mu (X)$.

I'm trying to prove it, but I'm stuck at showing
$$
\lim_m\lim_n \int_X (f-f_m) \mathrm d \mu_n = 0.
$$

Could you elaborate on how to finish the proof?


My attempt: One direction is obvious. Let's prove the reverse. Assume $\mu_n \overset{*}{\rightharpoonup} \mu$ and $\mu_n (X) \to \mu (X)$. Fix $f \in \mathcal C_b (X)$ and $\varepsilon>0$. Let $(\mu^+, \mu^-)$ with $\mu = \mu^+ – \mu^-$ be the Jordan decomposition of $\mu$. Let $|\mu| := \mu^+ + \mu^-$. By definition,
$$
\int_X f \mathrm d \mu := \int_X f \mathrm d \mu^+ – \int_X f \mathrm d \mu^-.
$$

Notice that $\mathcal C_c(X)$ is dense in $(L_1 (|\mu|), \|\cdot\|_{L_1(|\mu|)})$, so there is a sequence $(f_m) \subset L_1 (\mu|)$ such that $\|f_m – f\|_{L_1(|\mu|)} \to 0$, i.e.,
$$
\int_X |f_m-f| \mathrm d |\mu| \to 0 \quad \text{as} \quad m \to \infty.
$$

Notice that
$$
\begin{align}
\left | \int_X (f_m-f) \mathrm d \mu \right | &= \left | \int_X (f_m-f) \mathrm d \mu^+ – \int_X (f_m-f) \mathrm d \mu^- \right | \\
&\le \int_X |f_m-f| \mathrm d \mu^+ + \int_X |f_m-f| \mathrm d \mu^- \\
&= \int_X |f_m-f| \mathrm d |\mu| .
\end{align}
$$

This implies
$$
\int_X f_m \mathrm d \mu \to \int_X f \mathrm d \mu \quad \text{as} \quad m \to \infty.
$$

We have a decomposition
$$
\int_X f \mathrm d (\mu_n-\mu) = \int_X (f_m-f) \mathrm d \mu + \int_X f_m \mathrm d (\mu_n-\mu) + \int_X (f-f_m) \mathrm d \mu_n.
$$

Best Answer

This is in response to a comment by the OP. It is the version of the Theorem in his posting under the additional assumption that $X$ is a metric space:

Theorem A: Suppose $(S,d)$ is a locally compact separable metric space. Let $(\mu_n,\mu)$ a sequence of finite nonnegative measures. The following statement are equivalent:

  1. $\mu_n\stackrel{n\rightarrow\infty}{\Longrightarrow}\mu$ (convergence in the topology $\sigma(\mathcal{M}(S),\mathcal{C}_b(S))$)
  2. $\mu_n\stackrel{v}{\longrightarrow}\mu$ as $n\rightarrow\infty$ (convergence in the topology $\sigma(\mathcal{M}(S),\mathcal{C}_{00}(S))$, and $\mu_n(S)\xrightarrow{n\rightarrow\infty}\mu(S)$.

That (1) implies (2) is obvious.

The proof that (2) implies (1) is based in a well known result:

Theorem L: Let $(S,d)$ be a metric space. For any net $\{\mu_\alpha:\alpha\in D\}\subset\mathcal{M}^+(S)$ and $\mu\in \mathcal{M}^+(S)$,

  • $\mu_\alpha\Rightarrow\mu$ if and only if \begin{align} \liminf_\alpha\int f\,d\mu_\alpha\geq \int f\,d\mu\tag{1}\label{one} \end{align} for all $f\in L_b(S)$.
    If in addition $(S,d)$ is a locally compact separable metric space,
  • If $\mu_\alpha\stackrel{v}{\longrightarrow} \mu$, then \eqref{one} holds for all $0\leq f\in L_b(S)$.

Here, $L_b(S)$ the set of all lower semicontinuous functions that are bounded below.

Let $f\in L_b(S)$ with $c\leq f$ for some constant $c$. Then $0\leq f-c\in L_b(S)$ and by the second part of Theorem L, $\liminf_n\int (f-c)\,d\mu_n\geq \int (f-c)\,d\mu$. The assumption $\mu_n(S)\rightarrow\mu(S)$ implies that \begin{align} \liminf_n\int f\,d\mu_n\geq \int f\,d\mu . \end{align} The implication $(2)\Rightarrow(1)$ in Theorem A follows from the first part of Theorem L.


Here is a proof of Theorem L.

Suppose that $\mu_\alpha\Rightarrow\mu$ and let $g\in L_b(S)$ with $g\geq c$. There is a sequence $g_k$ of bounded Lipschitz functions such that $c\leq g_k\leq g_{k+1}\nearrow g$. Hence, for each $k$ \begin{align} \liminf_\alpha\int g\,d\mu_\alpha\geq \liminf_\alpha \int g_k\,d\mu_\alpha =\int g_k\,d\mu. \end{align} As $\mu(S)<\infty$, $\liminf_\alpha\int g\,d\mu_\alpha\geq \int g\,d\mu$ by monotone convergence.

Conversely, suppose $f\in\mathcal{C}_b(S)$. Since $\mathcal{C}_b(S)\subset L_b(S)$, both $f$ and $-f$ are in $L_b(S)$, so \begin{align} \liminf_\alpha\int f\,d\mu_\alpha&\geq \int f\,d\mu\\ \liminf_\alpha\int -f\,d\mu_\alpha&\geq \int -f\,d\mu \end{align} Therefore, $\lim_\alpha \int f\,d\mu_\alpha =\int f\,d\mu$.

For the last statement, let $0\leq f\in L_b(S)$ and let $f_k\in C_b(S)$ be such that $0\leq f_k\nearrow f$ pointwise. Since $S$ is locally compact and separable, there is a sequence of open sets $V_j$ with compact closure such that $\overline{V}_j\subset V_{j+1}\nearrow S$. Choose $v_j\in C_{00}(S)$ so that $\mathbb{1}_{\overline{V}_j}\leq v_j\leq \mathbb{1}_{V_{j+1}}$ and $\operatorname{supp}(v_j)\subset V_{j+1}$. Let $f_{kj}=f_kv_j$; clearly $f_{kj}\in C_{00}(S)$ and $f_{kj}\nearrow f_k$ as $j\nearrow\infty$. Then for all $k$ and $j$ \begin{align} \liminf_\alpha\int f\,d\mu_\alpha\geq \liminf_\alpha\int f_k\,d\mu_\alpha\geq \liminf_\alpha\int f_{kj}\,d\mu_\alpha=\int f_{kj}\,d\mu \end{align} The result follows now by monotone convergence by letting $j\nearrow\infty$ and then $k\nearrow\infty$.


All the arguments presented here depend heavily on the metrizability of $S$. I don't think they can be generalize easily into the more general setting where $(S,\tau)$ is a l.c.H space.

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