2
$\begingroup$

Let $\mu$ be the $n$-dimensional Lebesgue measure and $\lambda$ be a complex Borel measure on $\mathbb{R}^n$.

Let $S$ be the set of points $x\in \mathbb{R}^n$ where $\lim_{r\to 0} \frac{\lambda (B(x,r))}{\mu (B(x,r))}$ exists in $\mathbb{C}$.

Then, is $S$ a Borel set? Moreover, is $\lambda (S)=0$?

$\endgroup$
5
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I also posted this on : math.stackexchange.com/q/1884629/44669 $\endgroup$
    – Rubertos
    Commented Aug 6, 2016 at 22:19
  • $\begingroup$ For future reference, simultaneous crossposts to Math.SE are frowned upon here. They tend to lead to unnecessary duplication of effort. Standard practice is not to crosspost until your question has gone unanswered for about a week. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 17:22
  • $\begingroup$ @NateEldredge To make an excuse, I actually posted this a week ago on SE and I could not get any answer. So I deleted it and reposted it on SE and posted newly on overflow. $\endgroup$
    – Rubertos
    Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 20:24
  • $\begingroup$ Well, to delete and repost is also not appropriate. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 8, 2016 at 21:15
  • $\begingroup$ @NateEldredge Oh, okay. Sorry, I will be careful of that! $\endgroup$
    – Rubertos
    Commented Aug 8, 2016 at 21:23

2 Answers 2

1
$\begingroup$

Yes, $S$ is Borel. Assume, to be specific, that $B(x,r)$ denotes the open ball of radius $r$ centered at $x$.

Lemma 1. The function $(0,\infty)\ni r\mapsto\ell(r):=\lambda (B(x,r))$ is left-continuous, for each $x\in \mathbb{R}^n$.

Proof. By the Hahn decomposition theorem, $\lambda$ is a linear combination (possibly with complex coefficients) of nonnegative measures. So, in the rest of the proof of Lemma 1, without loss of generality (wlog) $\lambda$ itself may be assumed to be nonnegative. Take any $x\in \mathbb{R}^n$ and then any $r\in(0,\infty)$. The sequence of balls $B(x,r-1/n)$ is increasing, with $\bigcup_n B(x,r-1/n)=B(x,r)$. So, $\lambda(B(x,r-1/n))\to\lambda(B(x,r))$. Since $\lambda$ is nonnegative, the function $(0,\infty)\ni r\mapsto\lambda (B(x,r))$ is nondecreasing. Now Lemma 1 follows.

Lemma 2. The function $\mathbb{R}^n\ni x\mapsto\lambda (B(x,a))$ is Borel, for each real $a>0$.

Proof. Wlog $\lambda$ is nonnegative in the proof of Lemma 2 as well. Take any real $c$. It is enough to show that the set $L_c:=\{x\in\mathbb{R}^n\colon\lambda(B(x,a))>c\}$ is open (and hence Borel). To do this, take any $x\in L_c$, so that $\lambda(B(x,a))>c$. By Lemma 1, we can find some real $\delta>0$ such that $\lambda(B(x,a-\delta))>c$. But for all $y\in B(x,\delta)$ one has $B(y,a)\supseteq B(x,a-\delta)$ and hence $\lambda(B(y,a))\ge \lambda(B(x,a-\delta))>c$. So, for any $x\in L_c$ one has $B(x,\delta)\subseteq L_c$. Thus, indeed the set $L_c$ is open, and Lemma 2 follows.

We are now ready to show that $S$ is Borel.
Indeed, for any real $r>0$, let $Q_r:=\mathbb{Q}\cap(0,r)$, a countable set. Then, again by Lemma 1,
\begin{equation} S=\bigcap_{k\in\mathbb N}\bigcup_{m\in\mathbb N}\bigcap_{a,b\in Q_{1/m}} \Big\{x\in\mathbb{R}^n\colon\Big|\frac{\lambda (B(x,a))}{\mu (B(x,a))}-\frac{\lambda (B(x,b))}{\mu (B(x,b))}\Big|<\frac1k\Big\} \tag{1} \end{equation} and, by Lemma 2, the sets $\big\{x\in\mathbb{R}^n\colon\Big|\frac{\lambda (B(x,a))}{\mu (B(x,a))}-\frac{\lambda (B(x,b))}{\mu (B(x,b))}\Big|<\frac1k\big\}$ are Borel. Thus,
$S$ is indeed Borel.

Of course, in general $\lambda(S)\ne0$. E.g., take $\lambda=\mu$. Then $\lambda(S)=\infty$.

$\endgroup$
17
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ math.stackexchange.com/a/1884745/44669 $\endgroup$
    – Rubertos
    Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 2:13
  • $\begingroup$ Since the function given here is not continuous, you cannot take $Q_{1/m}$ to cover all reals. $\endgroup$
    – Rubertos
    Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 2:14
  • $\begingroup$ The $Q_{1/m}$'s don't have to cover all reals. Indeed, it is easy to see that, if $f$ is a monotonic function and $g$ is a monotonic function positive on $(0,\infty)$, then $\lim_{x\downarrow0}\frac{f(x)}{g(x)}$ is the same as $\lim_{x\downarrow0,x\in\mathbb Q}\frac{f(x)}{g(x)}$, both in terms of the value and the existence. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 2:26
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ That $\lambda$ is nonnegative is assumed only after (1) is established, and (1) is establshed based on the left continuity of the function $r\mapsto \lambda (B(x,r))$, even when $\lambda$ is complex-valued. After that is done, we use three facts: (i) that $\lambda$ is a linear combination of nonnegative measures; (ii) that a linear combination of Borel functions is Borel; (iii) that the function $\mathbb{R}^n\ni x\mapsto\lambda (B(x,a))$ is Borel if $\lambda$ is a nonnegative measure. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 6:12
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I have streamlined a bit the proof of the fact that the function $x\mapsto\lambda (B(x,a))$ is Borel. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 7:01
0
$\begingroup$
  1. We can majorize $\lambda $ by a non-negative Borel measure $|\lambda|$. Let $\nu = |\lambda| + \mu .$ Since $|\lambda|$ and $\mu$ are absolutly continuos with respect to $\nu$, we can represent $\lambda $ and $\mu$ as $$ d\lambda = L d\nu ,\\ d\mu = M d\nu $$ for some Borel functions $L,M.$

$$\dots\dots\dots$$ 2. Lebesgue differentiation theorem applies to $d\nu$, so
$$ \frac {\lambda(B(x,r))}{\nu(B(x,r))} = \frac{1}{\nu(B(x,r))} \int_{B(x,r)} L(y)\space d\nu(y) \:\xrightarrow[r \rightarrow 0^+]{}\: L(x) \text{ a.e. $\nu$} $$ and $$ \frac {\mu(B(x,r))}{\nu(B(x,r))} = \frac{1}{\nu(B(x,r))} \int_{B(x,r)} M(y)\space d\nu(y) \:\xrightarrow[r \rightarrow 0^+]{}\: M(x) \text{ a.e. $\nu$} .$$

Note that $$0 \le \mu(M \le 0) = \int_{(M \le 0)} M(y)\space d\nu(y) \le 0 $$ therefore $ M > 0 \text{ a.e. $\nu$},$ so outside a Borel $\nu$-null set,
$$ \frac {\lambda(B(x,r))}{\mu(B(x,r))} = \frac {\lambda(B(x,r))/\nu(B(x,r))}{\mu(B(x,r))/\nu(B(x,r))} \:\xrightarrow[r \rightarrow 0^+]{}\: \frac{L(x)}{M(x)} \text{ a.e. $\nu$} $$

$$\dots\dots\dots$$ 3. Since $\nu(S^c) = 0$, then $\lambda(S^c)=0$, and even $|\lambda|(S^c)=0$ (i.e. any Borel subset of $S^c$ has null $\lambda$ measure).

$$\dots\dots\dots$$ 4. I can't show that $S$ is Borel. If the measure $\lambda$ is such that the functions: $$ x \mapsto \lambda(B(x,r)) $$ ($r>0$) are continuous, then $S$ is Borel. Since $\lambda$ might have singular support, these functions need not be continuous, but there might be some other way of showing $S$ is Borel.

$\endgroup$
3
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ How do you define $\lambda(S^c)$ if you cannot show $S$ is a Borel set? $\endgroup$
    – Rubertos
    Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 0:33
  • $\begingroup$ $\lambda$ can be extended to the sigma algebra generated by Borel sets and $\nu$ null sets. The simplest way is to extend $\lambda$ as $\lambda^{ \star}(A) = \int_A L(y) \space d\nu(y) $. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 1:38
  • $\begingroup$ [Wikipedia][1] mentions Federer's book. The results is that there is a Borel set $S_0$ contained in your set $S$ such that $\nu(S_0^c)=0$, since $S^c \subset S_0^c$, then $S = S_0 \cup \text{(a set contained in a $\nu$ null set})$ [1]: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebesgue_differentiation_theorem $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 7, 2016 at 2:01

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .