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The total variation of $\mu$ is then defined as $\left\|\mu\right\|_v :=
 
The total variation of $\mu$ is then defined as $\left\|\mu\right\|_v :=
 
\abs{\mu}(X)$.
 
\abs{\mu}(X)$.
 +
 +
''Warning'': If $\mathcal{B}$ is the $\sigma$-algebra of Borel sets of a topological space $X$, we will then denote by $\mathcal{M}^b (X)$ the space of ''Radon'' signed measures, i.e. those signed measures with finite total variation such that $|\mu|$ is a [[Radon measure]]. This is actually not a restriction in many cases, for instance if $X$ is the euclidean space.
 +
 +
 +
==Notions of convergence==
 
The space $\mathcal{M}^b (X, \mathcal{B})$ of $\mathbb R$ (resp. $\mathbb C$) valued measure with finite total variation is a [[Banach space]] and the following are the most commonly used topologies.
 
The space $\mathcal{M}^b (X, \mathcal{B})$ of $\mathbb R$ (resp. $\mathbb C$) valued measure with finite total variation is a [[Banach space]] and the following are the most commonly used topologies.
  
1) The norm or [[strong topology]]: $\mu_n\to \mu$ if and only
+
===The norm or [[strong topology]]===
if $\left\|\mu_n-\mu\right\|_v\to 0$.
+
$\mu_n\to \mu$ if and only if $\left\|\mu_n-\mu\right\|_v\to 0$.
  
2) The [[weak topology]]: a sequence of measures $\mu_n \rightharpoonup \mu$ if and only if $F (\mu_n)\to F(\mu)$
+
===The [[weak topology]]===
 +
A sequence of measures $\mu_n \rightharpoonup \mu$ if and only if $F (\mu_n)\to F(\mu)$
 
for every bounded linear functional $F$ on $\mathcal{M}^b$.
 
for every bounded linear functional $F$ on $\mathcal{M}^b$.
  
3) When $X$ is a [[topological space]] and $\mathcal{B}$ the corresponding $\sigma$-algebra of [[Borel set|Borel sets]], we can introduce on $X$ the narrow topology. In this case $\mu_n$ converges to $\mu$ if and only if  
+
===The narrow topology===
 +
When $X$ is a [[topological space]] and $\mathcal{B}$ the corresponding $\sigma$-algebra of [[Borel set|Borel sets]], we can introduce on $X$ the narrow topology. In this case $\mu_n$ converges to $\mu$ if and only if  
 
\begin{equation}\label{e:narrow}
 
\begin{equation}\label{e:narrow}
 
\int f\, \mathrm{d}\mu_n \to \int f\, \mathrm{d}\mu  
 
\int f\, \mathrm{d}\mu_n \to \int f\, \mathrm{d}\mu  
 
\end{equation}
 
\end{equation}
for every bounded continuous function $f:X\to \mathbb R$ (resp. $\mathbb C$). This topology is also sometimes called the weak topology, however
+
for every bounded continuous function $f:X\to \mathbb R$ (resp. $\mathbb C$). The following is an important consequence of the narrow convergence when $X$ is a [[Locally compact space|locally compact]] [[Hausdorff space]]: if $\mu_n$ converges narrowly to $\mu$, then $\mu_n (A)\to \mu (A)$ for any Borel set such that $\abs{\mu}(\partial A) = 0$ (cp. with Theorem 1(iii) of Section 1.9 in {{Cite|EG}}).
such notation is inconsistent with the Banach space theory, see below. The following is an important consequence of the narrow convergence when $X$ is a [[Locally compact space|locally compact]] [[Hausdorff space]]: if $\mu_n$ converges narrowly to $\mu$, then $\mu_n (A)\to \mu (A)$ for any Borel set such that $\abs{\mu}(\partial A) = 0$.
 
  
4) When $X$ is a locally compact topological space and $\mathcal{B}$ the $\sigma$-algebra of Borel sets yet another topology can be introduced, the so-called wide topology, or sometimes referred to as [[weak-star topology|weak$^\star$ topology]]. A sequence $\mu_n\rightharpoonup^\star \mu$ if and only if \eqref{e:narrow} holds for continuous functions which are compactly supported.
+
===The wide or weak$^\star$ topology===
 +
When $X$ is a locally compact topological space and $\mathcal{B}$ the $\sigma$-algebra of Borel sets yet another topology can be introduced, the so-called wide topology, or sometimes referred to as [[weak-star topology|weak$^\star$ topology]]. A sequence $\mu_n\rightharpoonup^\star \mu$ if and only if \eqref{e:narrow} holds for continuous functions which are compactly supported.
 
This topology is in general weaker than the narrow topology but they do coincide when restricted to probability measures if $X$ is a Hausdorff space.  
 
This topology is in general weaker than the narrow topology but they do coincide when restricted to probability measures if $X$ is a Hausdorff space.  
  
If $X$ is compact and Hausdorff the [[Riesz representation theorem]] shows that $\mathcal{M}^b$ is the dual of the space $C(X)$ of continuous functions. Under this assumption the narrow and weak$^\star$ topology coincides with the usual [[weak-star topology|weak$^\star$ topology]] of the Banach space theory. Since in general $C(X)$ is not a [[Reflexive space|reflexive space]], it turns out that the narrow topology is in general weaker than the weak topology.
+
A topology analogous to the weak$^\star$ topology is defined in the more  general space $\mathcal{M}^b_{loc}$ of locally bounded measures, i.e.  those measures $\mu$ such that for any point $x\in X$ there is a  neighborhood $U$ with $\abs{\mu}(U)<\infty$.
 +
 
 +
'''Warning''' Sequences of measures converging in the narrow (or in the wide topology) are called ''weakly convergent'' sequences by several authors (cp. with {{Cite|Bi}}, {{Cite|Ma}} and {{Cite|EG}}). This is, however, inconsistent with the terminology of Banach spaces, see below.
 +
 
 +
==Properties==
 +
===Relation with functional analysis===
 +
If $X$ is compact and Hausdorff the [[Riesz representation theorem]] shows that $\mathcal{M}^b (X)$ is the dual of the space $C(X)$ of continuous functions. Under this assumption the narrow and weak$^\star$ topology coincides with the usual [[weak-star topology|weak$^\star$ topology]] of the Banach space theory. Since in general $C(X)$ is not a [[Reflexive space|reflexive space]], it turns out that the narrow topology is in general weaker than the weak topology.
 +
 
 +
===Metrizability of the weak$^*$ topology===
 +
On bounded subsets of $\mathcal{M}^b (X)$, the weak$^*$ topology is metrizable. If $X$ is compact, this follows directly from standard functional-analytic arguments, since $\mathcal{M}^b (X)$ is then the dual of a separable Banach space. The case of a locally compact $X$ can be reduced to that of a compact space by exhaustion with compact sets.
 +
 
 +
The cone of nonnegative measures is metrizable without further restrictions on the size of the measures (see for instance Proposition 2.6 of {{Cite|De}}).
 +
 
 +
===Compactness of the weak$^*$ topology===
 +
If $\{\mu_k\}$ is a sequence with $\sup_k \|\mu_k\|_v < \infty$ then a subsequence converges weakly$^*$. This is again a consequence of standard Banach space theory if $X$ is compact (see [[Banach-Alaoglu theorem]], whereas the locally compact case can easily reduced to the compact one by exhaustion. More general compactness statements are possible (cp. for instance with Theorem 2 in Section 1.9 of {{Cite|EG}}).
 +
 
 +
==Probability measures==
 +
On the space of probability measures one can get further interesting properties.
 +
 
 +
===Narrow and wide topology===
 +
The narrow and wide topology coincide on the space of probability measures on a locally compact spaces. If $X$ is compact, then the space of probability measures with the narrow (or wide) topology is also compact. However, if $X$ is not compact, the compactness of the wide topology fails: as an example take the sequence of Dirac masses $\delta_n$ on $\mathbb R$, where $n\in \mathbb N$. This sequence converges, in the wide topology, to the measure $0$. However, if one assumes ''tightness'' of the sequence of measures $\{\mu_n\}$ (cp. with \ref{e:tight}), then the sequential (pre)compactness is reestablished. More precisely (cp. with Theorem 6.1 of {{Cite|Bi}}):
  
A topology analogous to the weak$^\star$ topology is defined in the more general space $\mathcal{M}^b_{loc}$ of locally bounded measures, i.e. those measures $\mu$ such that for any point $x\in X$ there is a neighborhood $U$ with $\abs{\mu}(U)<\infty$.
+
'''Theorem (Prohorov)'''
 +
Let $X$ be a locally compact Hausdorff space and $\{\mu_k\}$ a sequence of Radon probability measures. If
 +
\begin{equation}\label{e:tight}
 +
\forall \varepsilon\; \exists K\, \mbox{compact such that }\; \mu_k (X\setminus K)<\varepsilon \; \forall k\,
 +
\end{equation}
 +
then a subsequence converges weakly$^*$ to a probability Radon measure $\mu$.
  
====References====
+
===Wasserstein metrics===
 +
The space of probability measures on a [[Polish space]] can be endowed with several interesting metrics, called Wasserstein or Monge-Kantorovich distances (see Section 7.1 of {{Cite|Vi}}) and related to the [[Mass transport]] problem. The $1$-Wasserstein distance (also called Kantorovich-Rubinstein distance) is defined as
 +
\[
 +
W_1 (\mu, \nu) = \sup \left\{ \int \varphi d\mu - \int \varphi d\nu : \; \varphi\in C(X, \mathbb R)\; \mbox{ with }{\rm Lip}\, (\varphi)\leq 1 \right\}
 +
\]
 +
(here ${\rm Lip}\, (\varphi)$ denotes the [[Lipschitz condition|Lipschitz constant]] of $\varphi$).
 +
 
 +
==References==
 
{|
 
{|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|valign="top"|{{Ref|AmFuPa}}|| L. Ambrosio, N. Fusco, D. Pallara, "Functions of bounded variations and free discontinuity problems". Oxford Mathematical Monographs. The Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, New York, 2000. {{MR|1857292}}{{ZBL|0957.49001}}  
 
|valign="top"|{{Ref|AmFuPa}}|| L. Ambrosio, N. Fusco, D. Pallara, "Functions of bounded variations and free discontinuity problems". Oxford Mathematical Monographs. The Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, New York, 2000. {{MR|1857292}}{{ZBL|0957.49001}}  
 +
|-
 +
|valign="top"|{{Ref|Bi}}|| P. Billingsley, "Convergence of  probability measures" , Wiley (1968) {{MR|0233396}} {{ZBL|0172.21201}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
|valign="top"|{{Ref|Bo}}|| N. Bourbaki, "Elements of mathematics. Integration" , Addison-Wesley (1975) pp. Chapt.6;7;8 (Translated from French) {{MR|0583191}} {{ZBL|1116.28002}} {{ZBL|1106.46005}} {{ZBL|1106.46006}} {{ZBL|1182.28002}} {{ZBL|1182.28001}} {{ZBL|1095.28002}} {{ZBL|1095.28001}} {{ZBL|0156.06001}}
 
|valign="top"|{{Ref|Bo}}|| N. Bourbaki, "Elements of mathematics. Integration" , Addison-Wesley (1975) pp. Chapt.6;7;8 (Translated from French) {{MR|0583191}} {{ZBL|1116.28002}} {{ZBL|1106.46005}} {{ZBL|1106.46006}} {{ZBL|1182.28002}} {{ZBL|1182.28001}} {{ZBL|1095.28002}} {{ZBL|1095.28001}} {{ZBL|0156.06001}}
 +
|-
 +
|valign="top"|{{Ref|De}}|| C. De Lellis, "Rectifiable  sets, densities  and tangent measures" Zurich Lectures in Advanced  Mathematics. European  Mathematical Society (EMS), Zürich, 2008.  {{MR|2388959}}  {{ZBL|1183.28006}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
|valign="top"|{{Ref|DS}}|| N. Dunford, J.T. Schwartz, "Linear operators. General theory" , '''1''' , Interscience (1958) {{MR|0117523}}
 
|valign="top"|{{Ref|DS}}|| N. Dunford, J.T. Schwartz, "Linear operators. General theory" , '''1''' , Interscience (1958) {{MR|0117523}}
 
|-
 
|-
|valign="top"|{{Ref|Bi}}|| P. Billingsley, "Convergence of probability measures" , Wiley (1968) {{MR|0233396}} {{ZBL|0172.21201}}
+
|valign="top"|{{Ref|EG}}|| L.C. Evans,  R.F. Gariepy, "Measure theory  and fine properties of functions" Studies in Advanced Mathematics. CRC  Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1992.  {{MR|1158660}} {{ZBL|0804.2800}}  
 
|-
 
|-
 
|valign="top"|{{Ref|Ma}}|| P. Mattila, "Geometry of sets and measures in euclidean spaces. Cambridge Studies in Advanced Mathematics, 44. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,  1995. {{MR|1333890}} {{ZBL|0911.28005}}
 
|valign="top"|{{Ref|Ma}}|| P. Mattila, "Geometry of sets and measures in euclidean spaces. Cambridge Studies in Advanced Mathematics, 44. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,  1995. {{MR|1333890}} {{ZBL|0911.28005}}
 
|-
 
|-
 +
|valign="top"|{{Ref|Vi}}|| Villani, Cédric Topics in optimal transportation.Graduate Studies in Mathematics, 58. American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI,  2003. {{MR|1964483}} {{ZBL|1106.90001}}
 
|}
 
|}

Revision as of 18:24, 17 August 2012

2020 Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary: 28A33 [MSN][ZBL] $\newcommand{\abs}[1]{\left|#1\right|}$

A concept in measure theory, determined by a certain topology in a space of measures that are defined on a certain σ-algebra $\mathcal{B}$ of subsets of a space $X$ or, more generally, in a space $\mathcal{M} (X, \mathcal{B})$ of charges, i.e. countably-additive real (resp. complex) functions $\mu: \mathcal{B}\to \mathbb R$ (resp. $\mathbb C$), often also called $\mathbb R$ (resp. $\mathbb C$) valued or signed measures. The total variation measure of a $\mathbb C$-valued measure is defined on $\mathcal{B}$ as: \[ \abs{\mu}(B) :=\sup\left\{ \sum \abs{\mu(B_i)}: \text{$\{B_i\}\subset\mathcal{B}$ is a countable partition of $B$}\right\}. \] In the real-valued case the above definition simplifies as \[ \abs{\mu}(B) = \sup_{A\in \mathcal{B}, A\subset B} \left(\abs{\mu (A)} + \abs{\mu (B\setminus A)}\right). \] The total variation of $\mu$ is then defined as $\left\|\mu\right\|_v := \abs{\mu}(X)$. ''Warning'': If $\mathcal{B}$ is the $\sigma$-algebra of Borel sets of a topological space $X$, we will then denote by $\mathcal{M}^b (X)$ the space of ''Radon'' signed measures, i.e. those signed measures with finite total variation such that $|\mu|$ is a [[Radon measure]]. This is actually not a restriction in many cases, for instance if $X$ is the euclidean space. =='"`UNIQ--h-0--QINU`"'Notions of convergence== The space $\mathcal{M}^b (X, \mathcal{B})$ of $\mathbb R$ (resp. $\mathbb C$) valued measure with finite total variation is a [[Banach space]] and the following are the most commonly used topologies. ==='"`UNIQ--h-1--QINU`"'The norm or [[strong topology]]=== $\mu_n\to \mu$ if and only if $\left\|\mu_n-\mu\right\|_v\to 0$. ==='"`UNIQ--h-2--QINU`"'The [[weak topology]]=== A sequence of measures $\mu_n \rightharpoonup \mu$ if and only if $F (\mu_n)\to F(\mu)$ for every bounded linear functional $F$ on $\mathcal{M}^b$. ==='"`UNIQ--h-3--QINU`"'The narrow topology=== When $X$ is a [[topological space]] and $\mathcal{B}$ the corresponding $\sigma$-algebra of [[Borel set|Borel sets]], we can introduce on $X$ the narrow topology. In this case $\mu_n$ converges to $\mu$ if and only if \begin{equation}\label{e:narrow} \int f\, \mathrm{d}\mu_n \to \int f\, \mathrm{d}\mu \end{equation} for every bounded continuous function $f:X\to \mathbb R$ (resp. $\mathbb C$). The following is an important consequence of the narrow convergence when $X$ is a [[Locally compact space|locally compact]] [[Hausdorff space]]: if $\mu_n$ converges narrowly to $\mu$, then $\mu_n (A)\to \mu (A)$ for any Borel set such that $\abs{\mu}(\partial A) = 0$ (cp. with Theorem 1(iii) of Section 1.9 in [[#EG|[EG]]]). ==='"`UNIQ--h-4--QINU`"'The wide or weak$^\star$ topology=== When $X$ is a locally compact topological space and $\mathcal{B}$ the $\sigma$-algebra of Borel sets yet another topology can be introduced, the so-called wide topology, or sometimes referred to as [[weak-star topology|weak$^\star$ topology]]. A sequence $\mu_n\rightharpoonup^\star \mu$ if and only if \eqref{e:narrow} holds for continuous functions which are compactly supported. This topology is in general weaker than the narrow topology but they do coincide when restricted to probability measures if $X$ is a Hausdorff space. A topology analogous to the weak$^\star$ topology is defined in the more general space $\mathcal{M}^b_{loc}$ of locally bounded measures, i.e. those measures $\mu$ such that for any point $x\in X$ there is a neighborhood $U$ with $\abs{\mu}(U)<\infty$. '''Warning''' Sequences of measures converging in the narrow (or in the wide topology) are called ''weakly convergent'' sequences by several authors (cp. with [[#Bi|[Bi]]], [[#Ma|[Ma]]] and [[#EG|[EG]]]). This is, however, inconsistent with the terminology of Banach spaces, see below. =='"`UNIQ--h-5--QINU`"'Properties== ==='"`UNIQ--h-6--QINU`"'Relation with functional analysis=== If $X$ is compact and Hausdorff the [[Riesz representation theorem]] shows that $\mathcal{M}^b (X)$ is the dual of the space $C(X)$ of continuous functions. Under this assumption the narrow and weak$^\star$ topology coincides with the usual [[weak-star topology|weak$^\star$ topology]] of the Banach space theory. Since in general $C(X)$ is not a [[Reflexive space|reflexive space]], it turns out that the narrow topology is in general weaker than the weak topology. ==='"`UNIQ--h-7--QINU`"'Metrizability of the weak$^*$ topology=== On bounded subsets of $\mathcal{M}^b (X)$, the weak$^*$ topology is metrizable. If $X$ is compact, this follows directly from standard functional-analytic arguments, since $\mathcal{M}^b (X)$ is then the dual of a separable Banach space. The case of a locally compact $X$ can be reduced to that of a compact space by exhaustion with compact sets. The cone of nonnegative measures is metrizable without further restrictions on the size of the measures (see for instance Proposition 2.6 of [[#De|[De]]]). ==='"`UNIQ--h-8--QINU`"'Compactness of the weak$^*$ topology=== If $\{\mu_k\}$ is a sequence with $\sup_k \|\mu_k\|_v < \infty$ then a subsequence converges weakly$^*$. This is again a consequence of standard Banach space theory if $X$ is compact (see [[Banach-Alaoglu theorem]], whereas the locally compact case can easily reduced to the compact one by exhaustion. More general compactness statements are possible (cp. for instance with Theorem 2 in Section 1.9 of [[#EG|[EG]]]). =='"`UNIQ--h-9--QINU`"'Probability measures== On the space of probability measures one can get further interesting properties. ==='"`UNIQ--h-10--QINU`"'Narrow and wide topology=== The narrow and wide topology coincide on the space of probability measures on a locally compact spaces. If $X$ is compact, then the space of probability measures with the narrow (or wide) topology is also compact. However, if $X$ is not compact, the compactness of the wide topology fails: as an example take the sequence of Dirac masses $\delta_n$ on $\mathbb R$, where $n\in \mathbb N$. This sequence converges, in the wide topology, to the measure $0$. However, if one assumes ''tightness'' of the sequence of measures $\{\mu_n\}$ (cp. with \ref{e:tight}), then the sequential (pre)compactness is reestablished. More precisely (cp. with Theorem 6.1 of [[#Bi|[Bi]]]): '''Theorem (Prohorov)''' Let $X$ be a locally compact Hausdorff space and $\{\mu_k\}$ a sequence of Radon probability measures. If \begin{equation}\label{e:tight} \forall \varepsilon\; \exists K\, \mbox{compact such that }\; \mu_k (X\setminus K)<\varepsilon \; \forall k\, \end{equation} then a subsequence converges weakly$^*$ to a probability Radon measure $\mu$. ==='"`UNIQ--h-11--QINU`"'Wasserstein metrics=== The space of probability measures on a [[Polish space]] can be endowed with several interesting metrics, called Wasserstein or Monge-Kantorovich distances (see Section 7.1 of [[#Vi|[Vi]]]) and related to the [[Mass transport]] problem. The $1$-Wasserstein distance (also called Kantorovich-Rubinstein distance) is defined as \[ W_1 (\mu, \nu) = \sup \left\{ \int \varphi d\mu - \int \varphi d\nu : \; \varphi\in C(X, \mathbb R)\; \mbox{ with }{\rm Lip}\, (\varphi)\leq 1 \right\} \] (here ${\rm Lip}\, (\varphi)$ denotes the [[Lipschitz condition|Lipschitz constant]] of $\varphi$).

References

[AmFuPa] L. Ambrosio, N. Fusco, D. Pallara, "Functions of bounded variations and free discontinuity problems". Oxford Mathematical Monographs. The Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, New York, 2000. MR1857292Zbl 0957.49001
[Bi] P. Billingsley, "Convergence of probability measures" , Wiley (1968) MR0233396 Zbl 0172.21201
[Bo] N. Bourbaki, "Elements of mathematics. Integration" , Addison-Wesley (1975) pp. Chapt.6;7;8 (Translated from French) MR0583191 Zbl 1116.28002 Zbl 1106.46005 Zbl 1106.46006 Zbl 1182.28002 Zbl 1182.28001 Zbl 1095.28002 Zbl 1095.28001 Zbl 0156.06001
[De] C. De Lellis, "Rectifiable sets, densities and tangent measures" Zurich Lectures in Advanced Mathematics. European Mathematical Society (EMS), Zürich, 2008. MR2388959 Zbl 1183.28006
[DS] N. Dunford, J.T. Schwartz, "Linear operators. General theory" , 1 , Interscience (1958) MR0117523
[EG] L.C. Evans, R.F. Gariepy, "Measure theory and fine properties of functions" Studies in Advanced Mathematics. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1992. MR1158660 Zbl 0804.2800
[Ma] P. Mattila, "Geometry of sets and measures in euclidean spaces. Cambridge Studies in Advanced Mathematics, 44. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995. MR1333890 Zbl 0911.28005
[Vi] Villani, Cédric Topics in optimal transportation.Graduate Studies in Mathematics, 58. American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 2003. MR1964483 Zbl 1106.90001
How to Cite This Entry:
Convergence of measures. Encyclopedia of Mathematics. URL: http://encyclopediaofmath.org/index.php?title=Convergence_of_measures&oldid=27464
This article was adapted from an original article by R.A. Minlos (originator), which appeared in Encyclopedia of Mathematics - ISBN 1402006098. See original article