$v(Q)\le\sum_{i=1}^k v(Q_i)$ where $Q_1,…,Q_k$ are rectangles that cover the rectangle $Q$

calculusintegrationmeasure-theoryreal-analysis

What shown below is a reference from "Analysis on manifolds" by James R. Munkres.

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Well I don't formally understand why each $R\subseteq Q$ is contained in at least one of the rectangles $Q_1,…,Q_k$ so I ask to prove this formally. Could someone help me, please?

Best Answer

As stated in the beginning, "... each of the rectangles $Q,Q_1,\ldots, Q_k$ is a union of subrectangles determined by $P$".

Thus, $Q_j = \bigcup_{l=1}^{m_j} R_{jl}$ for each $j=1,\ldots,k$ and since $Q_1,\ldots, Q_k$ cover $Q$, we have

$$Q \subset \bigcup_{j=1}^k Q_j = \bigcup_{j=1}^k\bigcup_{l=1}^{m_j}R_{jl}$$

If $R \subset Q$, then as a member of the partition $P$ it must belong to the set $\{R_{jl}\}$ and so is contained in at least one of the rectangles $Q_1, \ldots , Q_k$.