Outer measure [sect:1-5]
Let S be a set, B a ring over S
and μ : B → [0,∞] additive. Then
is defined by
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μ*(A) := inf {
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μ(Ej) ; N ⊂N,
Ej ∈B, A ⊂
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Ej }
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for A ⊂S .
μ* is called outer measure
with respect to μ .
In this definition the infimum is infinite, if there exists no
covering of A , or if all sums in the definition
equal +∞ .
If wanted, one can add empty sets ∅ to the
definition (we have μ(∅)=0 ),
in order to replace N
by N=N .
A subset A ⊂S
is called μ -null set, if μ*(A)=0 .
Some elementary properties about the
outer measure are:
Properties of the outer measure.
Let B be a ring of subsets of S , μ an additive measure on
B and μ* the outer measure of μ . Then
- [sect:1-5-(i)]
μ*(∅)=0
and μ* is monotone,
that is μ*(A') ≦μ*(A) for A' ⊂A .
- [sect:1-5-(ii)]
μ* is ϭ -subadditive.
- [sect:1-5-(iii)]
Countable unions of μ -null sets are μ -null sets.
- [sect:1-5-(iv)]
Every subset of a μ -null set is a μ -null sets.
- [sect:1-5-(v)]
Another formula for the outer measure is
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μ*(A)=inf {
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μ(Ej) ; Ej∈B for j∈N, Ej⊂A, Ej⊂Ej+1}.
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