σ-algebra

Dependencies:

  1. /sets-and-relations/countable-set

Let $X$ be a set (called 'ground set') and let $\Fcal$ be a subset of the power-set of $X$. We say that $(X, \Fcal)$ is a $\sigma$-algebra (or $\Fcal$ is a $\sigma$-algebra over $X$) iff all of these properties hold:

  1. $X \in \Fcal$.
  2. closure under complementation: $A \in \Fcal \implies X-A \in \Fcal$. $X-A$ is called the complement of $A$, and is denoted by $\overline{A}$.
  3. closure under countable unions: Let $\Scal = \{A_1, A_2, \ldots\} \subseteq \Fcal$ be a countable set. Then $\left(\bigcup_{A \in \Scal} A\right) \in \Fcal$.

As a trivial example, $\{X, \emptyset\}$ is a $\sigma$-algebra over $X$. The power-set of $X$ is a $\sigma$-algebra over $X$ if $X$ is finite.

Dependency for:

  1. Measurable function
  2. Generated σ-algebra
  3. Measure
  4. σ-algebra is closed under countable intersections
  5. Set function
  6. Probability
  7. Independence of random variables (incomplete)
  8. X and Y are independent implies X and f(Y) are independent
  9. Fair division

Info:

Transitive dependencies:

  1. /sets-and-relations/countable-set