2. Constructing (σ-)rings and (σ-)algebras
In this section we outline three methods of constructing (σ-)rings and (σ-)algebras. It turns out that one can devise some general procedures, which work for all the types of set collections considered, so it will be natural to begin with some very general considerations. Definition. Suppose one has a type Θ of set collections. In other words, for any set X, one defines what it means for a collection C ⊂ P(X) to be of type Θ. The type Θ is said to be consistent, if for every set X, one has the following conditions: • the collection P(X), of all subsets of X, is of type Θ; T • if Ci, i ∈ I are collections of type Θ, then the intersection i∈I Ci is again of type Θ. Examples 2.1. The following types are consistent: • The type R of rings; • The type A of algebras; • The type S of σ-rings; • The type Σ of σ-algebras; • The type M of monotone classes. The reason for the consistency is simply the fact that each of these types is defined by means of set operations. Definition. Let Θ be a consistent type, let X be a set, and let E ⊂ P(X) be an arbitrary collection of sets. Define FΘ(E,X) = C ⊂ P(X): C ⊃ E, and C is of type Θ on X .
Notice that the family FΘ(E,X) is non-empty, since it contains at leas the collection P(X). The collection \ ΘX (E) = C
C∈FΘ(E,X) is of type Θ on X, and is called the type Θ class generated by E. When there is no danger of confusion, the ambient set X will be ommitted. Comment. In the above setting, the class Θ(E) is the smallest collection of type Θ on X, which contains E. In other words, if C is a collection of type Θ on X, with C ⊃ E, then C ⊃ Θ(E). This follows immediately from the fact that C belongs to FΘ(E,X). Examples 2.2. Let X be a (non-empty) set, and let E be an arbitrary collection of subsets of X. According to the previous list of consistent types R, A, S, Σ, and M, one can construct the following collections. (i) R(E), the ring generated by E; this is the smallest ring that contains E. (ii) A(E), the algebra generated by E; this is the smallest algebra that contains E. (iii) S(E), the σ-ring generated by E; this is the smallest σ-ring that contains E.
200 §2. Constructing (σ-)rings and (σ-)algebras 201
(iv) Σ(E), the σ-algebra generated by E; this is the smallest σ-algebra that contains E. (v) M(E), the monotone class generated by E; this is the smallest monotone class that contains E. Comment. Assume Θ is a consistent type. Suppose E is an arbitrary collection of subsets of some fixed non-empty set X. There are instances when we would like to decide whether a class C ⊃ E coincides with Θ(E). The following is a useful test: (i) check that C is of type Θ; (ii) check the inclusion C ⊂ Θ(E). By (i) we must have C ⊃ Θ(E), so by (ii) we will indeed hav equality. A simple illustration of the above technique allows one to describe the ring and the algebra generated by a collection of sets. Proposition 2.1. Let X be a non-empty set, and let E be an arbitrary collec- tion of subsets of X. A. For a set A ⊂ X, the following are equivalent: (i) A ∈ R(E); (ii) There exist sets A1,A2,...,An such that A = A14A24 ... 4An, and each Ak, k = 1, . . . , n is a finite intersection of sets in E. B. The algebra generated by E is A(E) = R(E) ∪ X r A : A ∈ R(E) = R E ∪ {X} . Proof. A. Define R to be the class of all subsets A ⊂ X, which satisfy property (ii), so that what we have to prove is the equality R = R(E). It is clear that E ⊂ R. Since every finite intersection of sets in E belongs to R(E), and the latter is a ring, it follows that R ⊂ R(E). So in order to prove the desired equality, all we have to do is to prove that R is a ring. But this is pretty clear, if we think 4 as the sum operation, and ∩ as the product operation. More explicitly, let us take Π(E) to be the collection of all finite intersections of sets in E, so that (1) A ∩ B ∈ Π(E), ∀ A, B ∈ Π(E).
Now if we start with two sets A, B ∈ R, written as A = A14 ... 4Am and B = B14 ... 4Bn, with A1,...,Am,B1,...,Bn ∈ Π(E), then the equality A ∩ B = (A1 ∩ B1)4 ... 4(Am ∩ B1) 4 (A1 ∩ B2)4 ... 4(Am ∩ B2) 4 ... ... 4 (A1 ∩ Bn)4 ... 4(Am ∩ Bn) , combined with (1) proves that A ∩ B ∈ R, while the equality
A4B = A14 ... 4Am4B14 ... 4Bn proves that A4B also belongs to R. B. Define A = R(E) ∪ X r A : A ∈ R(E) . Since we clearly have E ⊂ A ⊂ A(E), all we need to prove is the fact that A is an algebra. It is clear that, whenever A ∈ A, it follows that X r A ∈ A. Therefore (see Section III.1), we only need to show that A, B ∈ A ⇒ A ∪ B ∈ A. 202 CHAPTER III: MEASURE THEORY
There are four cases to examine: (i) A, B ∈ R(E); (ii) A ∈ R(E) and X rB ∈ R(E); (iii) X r A ∈ R(E) and B ∈ R(E); (iv) X r A ∈ R(E) and X r B ∈ R(E). Case (i) is clear, since it will force A ∪ B ∈ R(E). In case (ii), we use
X r (A ∪ B) = (X r A) ∩ (X r B) = (X r B) r A, which proves that X r (A ∪ B) ∈ R(E). Case (iii) is proven exactly as case (ii). In case (iv) we use
X r (A ∪ B) = (X r A) ∩ (X r B), which proves that X r (A ∪ B) ∈ R(E). The equality A(E) = R E ∪ {X} is trivial.
Comment. Unfortunately, for σ-rings and σ-algebras, no easy constructive description is avaialable. There is an analogue of Proposition 2.1 uses transfinite induction. In order to formulate such a statement, we introduce the following notations. For every collection C of subsets of X, we define ∞ ∗ [ C = (An r Bn): An,Bn ∈ C ∪ {∅}, ∀ n ≥ 1 . n=1 Notice that
∗ (2) C ∪ {∅} ⊂ C ⊂ S(C). Theorem 2.1. Let X be a non-empty set, and let E be an arbitrary collection of subsets of X. For every ordinal number η define the set
Pη = {α : α ordinal number with α < η}.
Let Ω denote the smallest uncountable ordinal number, and define the classes Eα, α ∈ PΩ recursively by E0 = E, and [ ∗ Eα = Eβ , ∀ α ∈ PΩ r {0}. β∈Pα Then the σ-ring generated by E is [ S(E) = Eα.
α∈PΩ Denote the union S E simply by U. It is obvious that E ⊂ U. Proof. α∈PΩ α Let us prove that U ⊂ S(E). We do this by showing that Eα ⊂ S(E), ∀ α ∈ PΩ. We use transfinite induction. The case α = 0 is clear. Assume α ∈ PΩ has the property that Eβ ⊂ S(E), for all β ∈ Pα, and let us show that we also have the inclusion Eα ⊂ S(E). On the one hand, if we take the class [ C = Eβ,
β∈Pα ∗ then Eα = C . On the other hand, by the inductive hypothesis, we have C ⊂ S(E), which clearly forces S(C) ⊂ S(E). Then the desired inclusion follows from (2) §2. Constructing (σ-)rings and (σ-)algebras 203
In order to finish the proof, we only need to prove that U is a σ-ring. It suffices to prove the equality U∗ = U, which in turn is equivalent to the inclusion U∗ ⊂ U. Start with some U ∈ U∗, written as ∞ [ U = (An r Bn), n=1 ∞ ∞ for two sequences (An)n=1 and (Bn)n=1 in U. For each n ≥ 1 choose αn, βn ∈ PΩ, such that An ∈ Eαn and B ∈ Eβn . Form then the countable set
Z = {αn : n ∈ N} ∪ {βn : n ∈ N} ⊂ PΩ. Then we clearly have [ ∗ U ∈ Eν . ν∈Z Since Z is countable, there is a strict upper bound for Z in PΩ, i.e. there exists γ ∈ PΩ, such that αn < γ and βn < γ, ∀ n ≥ 1. In other words we have Z ⊂ Pγ , so [ ∗ U ∈ Eν = Eγ ,
ν∈Pγ so U indeed belongs to U. Corollary 2.1. Given a non-empty set X, and an arbitrary collection E of subsets of X, with card E ≥ 2, one has the inequality ℵ card S(E) ≤ card E 0 . Proof. Using the notations from the proof of the above theorem, we will first prove, by transfinite induction, that