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ChungKaiLai 2001 Chapter1DistributionF ACourseInProbabilityT
ChungKaiLai 2001 Chapter1DistributionF ACourseInProbabilityT
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AN: 196455 ; Chung, Kai Lai.; A Course in Probability Theory, Revised Edition
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2 DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION
In general, we say that the function f has a jump at x iff the two limits
in (2) both exist but are unequal. The value of f at x itself, viz. fx, may be
arbitrary, but for an increasing f the relation (3) must hold. As a consequence
of (i) and (ii), we have the next result.
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1.1 MONOTONE FUNCTIONS 3
fx D 0 for x x0 1;
1 1 1
D1 for x0 x < x0 , n D 1, 2, . . . ;
n n nC1
D1 for x ½ x0 .
The point x0 is a point of accumulation of the points of jump fx0 1/n, n ½ 1g, but
f is continuous at x0 .
Before we discuss the next example, let us introduce a notation that will
be used throughout the book. For any real number t, we set
0 for x < t,
4 υt x D
1 for x ½ t.
We shall call the function υt the point mass at t.
Example 2. Let fan , n ½ 1g be any given enumeration of the set of all rational
numbers, and let fbn , n ½ 1g be a set of positive ½0 numbers such that 1nD1 bn < 1.
For instance, we may take bn D 2n . Consider now
1
5 fx D bn υan x.
nD1
Since 0 υan x 1 for every n and x, the series in (5) is absolutely and uniformly
convergent. Since each υan is increasing, it follows that if x1 < x2 ,
1
fx2 fx1 D bn [υan x2 υan x1 ] ½ 0.
nD1
But for each n, the number in the square brackets above is 0 or 1 according as x 6D an
or x D an . Hence if x is different from all the an ’s, each term on the right side of (6)
vanishes; on the other hand if x D ak , say, then exactly one term, that corresponding
to n D k, does not vanish and yields the value bk for the whole series. This proves
that the function f has jumps at all the rational points and nowhere else.
This example shows that the set of points of jump of an increasing function
may be everywhere dense; in fact the set of rational numbers in the example may
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4 DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION
It follows that the two intervals Ix and Ix0 are disjoint, though they may
abut on each other if fxC D fx 0 . Thus we may associate with the set of
points of jump in the domain of f a certain collection of pairwise disjoint open
intervals in the range of f. Now any such collection is necessarily a countable
one, since each interval contains a rational number, so that the collection of
intervals is in one-to-one correspondence with a certain subset of the rational
numbers and the latter is countable. Therefore the set of discontinuities is also
countable, since it is in one-to-one correspondence with the set of intervals
associated with it.
(v) Let f1 and f2 be two increasing functions and D a set that is (every-
where) dense in 1, C1. Suppose that
8x 2 D: f1 x D f2 x.
Then f1 and f2 have the same points of jump of the same size, and they
coincide except possibly at some of these points of jump.
To see this, let x be an arbitrary point and let tn 2 D, tn0 2 D, tn " x,
0
tn # x. Such sequences exist since D is dense. It follows from (i) that
In particular
The first assertion in (v) follows from this equation and (ii). Furthermore if
f1 is continuous at x, then so is f2 by what has just been proved, and we
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1.1 MONOTONE FUNCTIONS 5
have
f1 x D f1 x D f2 x D f2 x,
Q D fx, fx
fx Q D fx C fxC ,
Q D fxC, fx
2
and use one of these instead of the original one. The third modification is
found to be convenient in Fourier analysis, but either one of the first two is
more suitable for probability theory. We have a free choice between them and
we shall choose the second, namely, right continuity.
(vi) If we put
Q D fxC,
8x: fx
This is indeed true for any f such that ftC exists for every t. For then:
given any > 0, there exists υ > 0 such that
8s 2 x, x C υ: jfs fxCj .
Let t 2 x, x C υ and let s # t in the above, then we obtain
jftC fxCj ,
Let D be dense in 1, C1, and suppose that f is a function with the
domain D. We may speak of the monotonicity, continuity, uniform continuity,
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6 DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION
EXERCISES
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1.2 DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS 7
Q D fx f1
1 fx
fC1 f1
which is bounded and increasing with
2 Q
f1 D 0, Q
fC1 D 1.
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8 DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION
Faj Faj D bj
which represents the sum of all the jumps of F in the half-line 1, x]. It is
clearly increasing, right continuous, with
3 Fd 1 D 0, Fd C1 D bj 1.
j
Fx 0 Fx.
This shows that Fc is left continuous; since it is also right continuous, being
the difference of two such functions, it is continuous.
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1.2 DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS 9
Theorem 1.2.2. Let F be a d.f. Suppose that there exist a continuous func-
tion Gc and a function Gd of the form
Gd x D bj0 υaj0 x
j
[where faj0 g is a countable set of real numbers and j jbj0 j < 1], such that
F D Gc C Gd ,
then
Gc D Fc , Gd D Fd ,
where Fc and Fd are defined as before.
PROOF.If Fd 6D Gd , then either the sets faj g and faj0 g are not identical,
or we may relabel the aj0 so that aj0 D aj for all j but bj0 6D bj for some j. In
either case we have for at least one j, and aQ D aj or aj0 :
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10 DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION
EXERCISES
unless x is a point of jump of F, in which case the limit is equal to the size
of the jump.
2. Let F be a d.f. with points of jump fa g. Prove that the sum
j
[Faj Faj ]
x<aj <x
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1.3 ABSOLUTELY CONTINUOUS AND SINGULAR DISTRIBUTIONS 11
7. Prove that the support of any d.f. is a closed set, and the support of
any continuous d.f. is a perfect set.
It follows from a well-known proposition (see, e.g., Natanson [3]Ł ) that such
a function F has a derivative equal to f a.e. In particular, if F is a d.f., then
1
2 f ½ 0 a.e. and ft dt D 1.
1
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12 DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION
The next theorem summarizes some basic facts of real function theory;
see, e.g., Natanson [3].
(a) If S denotes the set of all x for which F0 x exists with 0 F0 x <
1, then mSc D 0.
(b) This F0 belongs to L 1 , and we have for every x < x 0 :
x0
4 F0 t dt Fx 0 Fx.
x
(c) If we put
x
5 8x: Fac x D F0 t dt, Fs x D Fx Fac x,
1
It is clear that Fac is increasing and Fac F. From (4) it follows that if
x < x0 x0
Fs x 0 Fs x D Fx 0 Fx ft dt ½ 0.
x
EXERCISES
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1.3 ABSOLUTELY CONTINUOUS AND SINGULAR DISTRIBUTIONS 13
1 C 2 C Ð Ð Ð C 2n1 D 2n 1
disjoint open intervals and are left with 2n disjoint closed intervals each of
length 1/3n . Let these removed ones, in order of position from left to right,
be denoted by Jn,k , 1 k 2n 1, and their union by Un . We have
n
1 2 4 2n1 2
mUn D C 2 C 3 C Ð Ð Ð C n D 1 .
3 3 3 3 3
As n " 1, Un increases to an open set U; the complement C of U with
respect to [0,1] is a perfect set, called the Cantor set. It is of measure zero
since
mC D 1 mU D 1 1 D 0.
This definition is consistent since two intervals, Jn,k and Jn0 ,k 0 , are either
disjoint or identical, and in the latter case so are cn,k D cn0 ,k 0 . The last assertion
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14 DISTRIBUTION FUNCTION
The value of F is constant on each Jn,k and is strictly greater on any other
Jn0 ,k 0 situated to the right of Jn,k . Thus F is increasing and clearly we have
EXERCISES
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1.3 ABSOLUTELY CONTINUOUS AND SINGULAR DISTRIBUTIONS 15
11. Calculate
1 1 1
2
x dFx, x dFx, eitx dFx.
0 0 0
[HINT: This can be done directly or by using Exercise 10; for a third method
see Exercise 9 of Sec. 5.3.]
12. Extend the function F on [0,1] trivially to 1, 1. Let frn g be an
enumeration of the rationals and
1
1
Gx D Frn C x.
nD1
2n
Show that G is a d.f. that is strictly increasing for all x and singular. Thus we
have a singular d.f. with support 1, 1.
13. Consider F on [0,1]. Modify its inverse F1 suitably to make it
single-valued in [0,1]. Show that F1 so modified is a discrete d.f. and find
its points of jump and their sizes.
14. Given any closed set C in 1, C1, there exists a d.f. whose
support is exactly C. [HINT: Such a problem becomes easier when the corre-
sponding measure is considered; see Sec. 2.2 below.]
15. The Cantor d.f. F is a good building block of “pathological”
examples. For example, let H be the inverse of the homeomorphic map of [0,1]
onto itself: x ! 12 [Fx C x]; and E a subset of [0,1] which is not Lebesgue
measurable. Show that
1HE °H D 1E
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