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Kolmogorov extension alone does not give a continuous version

Statement refuted

Assume the Axiom of Choice. Consistency of finite-dimensional laws and the Kolmogorov extension theorem do not by themselves imply that the resulting process has a continuous modification.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: AC and the canonical fair-bit coordinate process X=(Xt)t[0,1] constructed below.

[F1]

Under AC, a consistent family of finite-dimensional laws on standard-Borel coordinate spaces has a unique extension on the cylinder sigma-algebra, and the canonical coordinate process realizes those laws. Independence of random elements means independence of their generated sigma-algebras. Assuming the Axiom of Choice, Kolmogorov extension for arbitrary families of standard Borel coordinate spaces The canonical coordinate process realizes consistent finite-dimensional laws Independent random elements

[F2]

Pairwise independent events whose probability sum diverges occur infinitely often with probability one. A finite mutually independent family remains independent after taking a subfamily or complementing any of its events. Second Borel-Cantelli lemma under pairwise independence Mutual independence is inherited by subfamilies and by replacing events with complements

[F3]

Countable subadditivity and the complement identity imply that a countable intersection of probability-one events has probability one; finite intersections are a special case. Basic identities for a probability measure

[F4]

A modification agrees with the original process almost surely at each fixed time, but its exceptional null event may depend on time. Process law, modification, and indistinguishability

[F5]

Continuity at a point sends every convergent sequence in the domain to a sequence converging to the function value; this forward direction is choice-free. Real absolute value satisfies the triangle inequality. f is continuous at cA if and only if f(xk)f(c) for every sequence in A converging to c, the converse direction costing countable choice The triangle inequality

[F6]

In the real ordered field, reciprocals of positive integers tend to zero: given ε>0, the reciprocal Archimedean property supplies a threshold, and inversion reverses the order on positive elements. For every ε>0 in a complete ordered field there is a natural n1 with 1/n<ε Inverses of positives are positive, and reciprocation reverses order

[F7]

AC is used by the arbitrary-index Kolmogorov construction in [F1]. No additional choices are made in the deterministic sequence or the probability-one intersections below. The Axiom of Choice

Counterexample

technique · contradiction
1.1

Take I=[0,1]. For each finite FI, let μF be the uniform probability on {0,1}F. Its mass is 2F at every point; for F= this is the unique probability on the singleton {0,1}. Marginalizing from G to FG sums over 2GF extensions and gives 2GF2G=2F, so the family is consistent. By [F1], under AC it has a probability extension on the cylinder sigma-algebra of Ω={0,1}[0,1], and Xt(ω)=ω(t) is a measurable coordinate process with these finite laws. For a finite JI and sets Aj{0,1}, uniform counting gives P ⁣(jJ{XjAj})=jJAj2J=jJP(XjAj). This also gives 1 for J=, by the empty-product convention. Since every subset of {0,1} is measurable, [F1] makes the whole coordinate family independent, and each coordinate is a fair bit.

F1F7algebra
1.2

For nN, put qn=1/(n+1). These are distinct points of (0,1]. Given ε>0, [F6] gives a positive integer N with 1/N<ε; whenever n+1N, positivity and order reversal under inversion give 0<qn1/N<ε. Hence qn0.

F6
2.1

Put An={Xqn=1}. By the independence and fair laws in step 1.1, the events (An) are pairwise independent and P(An)=1/2. For each pair, [F2] also makes their complements Anc={Xqn=0} independent, and P(Anc)=1/2. Both probability series diverge because their first m terms sum to m/2. Applying [F2] twice gives probability-one events E1={An occurs infinitely often},E0={Anc occurs infinitely often}. Thus on E0E1 the bit sequence (Xqn) has infinitely many zeros and infinitely many ones.

step 1.1F2algebra
3.1

Suppose for contradiction that Y=(Yt)t[0,1] is a continuous modification of X: for some measurable event C with P(C)=1, every path tYt(ω) with ωC is continuous on [0,1]. By [F4], each Hn={Yqn=Xqn} is measurable and has probability one. The complement of H=nHn is the countable union of the null events Hnc, so [F3] gives P(H)=1. A finite union bound likewise gives P(CHE0E1)=1, so this intersection is nonempty. Fix ω in it.

step 2.1F3F4assume-contra
4.1

The path f(t)=Yt(ω) is continuous at the endpoint 0. Since qn0, the choice-free forward implication in [F5] gives Yqn(ω)Y0(ω). But ωHE0E1, so Yqn(ω)=Xqn(ω) for every n, with both values 0 and 1 occurring infinitely often. This sequence cannot converge: if it converged to a, its tail would eventually lie within 1/3 of a; a tail containing both 0 and 1 would then give 1a+1a<2/3, a contradiction. Therefore no such continuous modification Y exists.

step 1.2step 2.1step 3.1F5
5.1

The witness has consistent finite laws and a genuine cylinder-space Kolmogorov extension, yet lacks a continuous modification, which refutes the statement. The empty finite support was checked in step 1.1; t=0 is the continuity endpoint in step 4.1; t=1=q0 and the values 0,1 occur in the construction; repeated coordinates are handled by the coordinate process rather than treated as independent copies. There is no biconditional. AC is used exactly through the arbitrary-index extension invoked in step 1.1, while Borel--Cantelli, the fixed sequence, and the countable intersection add no choice.

step 1.1step 4.1F7discharge-contradiction

Source notes

Durrett, Section 7.1, Theorem 7.1.1 and the discussion immediately following it, printed p. 356, constructs the canonical process from consistent finite-dimensional laws and emphasizes that this construction alone does not supply measurable continuous paths; a separate rational-time continuity argument is then required. The independent-bit witness and the Borel--Cantelli proof that even a continuous modification is impossible are derived in full above.

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