Underlying measure of marginal distribution and joint distribution

marginal-distributionprobabilityprobability distributionsrandom variables

Given a probability space $(\mathbb{R}^k, \mathcal{B}^k, \mathbb{P}_1)$ and a Markov kernel $\mathbb{P}_{1,2}:\mathbb{R}^k\times\mathcal{B}^l\rightarrow\mathbb{R}$ on a measure space $(\mathbb{R}^l, \mathcal{B}^l)$. Then there exists a probability measure $\mathbb{P}$ given by
$$\mathbb{P}(A)=\int_{\mathbb{R}^k}\left(\int_{\mathbb{R}^l}\mathbb{1}_{A}(\omega_1, \omega_2)\mathbb{P}_{1,2}(\omega_1, d\omega_2)\right)\mathbb{P}_1(d\omega_2),$$
for $A\in \mathcal{B}^k \otimes \mathcal{B}^l=\mathcal{B}^{k+l}$.

If we now introduce random variables $X_1$ and $X_2$ on $(\mathbb{R}^k, \mathcal{B}^k, \mathbb{P}_1)$ and $(\mathbb{R}^l, \mathcal{B}^l)$, respectively, we can form the random variable $(X_1, X_2)$ defined on $(\mathbb{R}^{k+l}, \mathcal{B}^{k+l}, \mathbb{P})$.

1.) So now I want to write down the distribution of the random variable $X_1$, i.e., $\mathbb{P}_{X_1}$. This is a push forward measure. But my question is, a pushforward measure of which measure? I.e., of $\mathbb{P}_1$ or of $\mathbb{P}$?

2.) Can it maybe be discribed in terms of either one? If so how would it look like if it is defined as the push forward measure of $\mathbb{P}$, which takes as an input sets from $\mathcal{B}^{k+l}$, but $X_1$ is only defined on $\mathbb{R}^k$?

3.) More generally, given a random variable $X$ and a random variable $Y$ on two different spaces $(\mathbb{R}^k, \mathcal{B}^k)$ and $(\mathbb{R}^l, \mathcal{B}^l)$, that have a joint distribution $\mathbb{P}_{X, Y}$ on $(\mathbb{R}^{k+l}, \mathcal{B}^{k+l})$. Then of what measure is $\mathbb{P}_X$ a pushforward measure of? And of what measure is the joint distribution a forward measure of? I.e., do we require a measure $\mathbb{P}$ on the product space $(\mathbb{R}^{k+l}, \mathcal{B}^{k+l})$ and are the marginals and the joint distribution push forward measure of that $\mathbb{P}$? If, so, how does it work for $\mathbb{P}_X$ as the dimensions dont match?

Best Answer

As in the comments, it seems like there's some confusion here over how to set up your notation. In typical usage, you are interested in one specific probability space $(\Omega, \mathcal F, \mathbb P)$, and all random variables are measurable functions of that space. You could for example set $(\Omega, \mathcal F) = (\mathbb R^{k+l}, \mathcal B^{k+l})$, and define $\mathbb P$ as in your display, though this is by no means required.

You would then define random variables $X_1$ and $X_2$ as measurable functions on $(\mathbb R^{k+l}, \mathcal B^{k+l})$; if $X_1$ only depends on the first $k$ coordinates, and $X_2$ on the last $l$, then those are just some properties the functions happen to satisfy. You wouldn't normally start with some other random variables $X_1$ and $X_2$, defined on two other spaces, and try to copy them over.

To answer your questions, the push-forward measure $\mathbb P_{X_1}$ is then straightforwardly $\mathbb PX_1^{-1}$. If random variables $X$ and $Y$ are defined on two spaces $S$ and $T$, then it does not make sense to say they have a joint distribution on some third space $U$; they're defined on $S$ and $T$.

You could, if you like, define some new random variables $X'$ and $Y'$ on $U$, which have the same marginal distributions as $X$ and $Y$, but these would be different variables, and their push-forward measures would be defined in the usual way.

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