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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 c∈A 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 n≥1 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
1.1F1F7algebra

Take I=[0,1]. For each finite F⊆I, let μF be the uniform probability on {0,1}F. Its mass is 2−∣F∣ at every point; for F=∅ this is the unique probability on the singleton {0,1}∅. Marginalizing from G to F⊆G sums over 2∣G∖F∣ extensions and gives 2∣G∖F∣2−∣G∣=2−∣F∣, 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 J⊆I and sets Aj⊆{0,1}, uniform counting gives P ⁣(⋂j∈J{Xj∈Aj})=∏j∈J∣Aj∣2∣J∣=∏j∈JP(Xj∈Aj). 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.

1.2F6

For n∈N, 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+1≥N, positivity and order reversal under inversion give 0<qn≤1/N<ε. Hence qn→0.

2.1step 1.1F2algebra

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 E0∩E1 the bit sequence (Xqn) has infinitely many zeros and infinitely many ones.

3.1step 2.1F3F4assume-contra

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 t↦Yt(ω) with ω∈C 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(C∩H∩E0∩E1)=1, so this intersection is nonempty. Fix ω in it.

4.1step 1.2step 2.1step 3.1F5

The path f(t)=Yt(ω) is continuous at the endpoint 0. Since qn→0, the choice-free forward implication in [F5] gives Yqn(ω)→Y0(ω). But ω∈H∩E0∩E1, 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 1≤∣a∣+∣1−a∣<2/3, a contradiction. Therefore no such continuous modification Y exists.

5.1step 1.1step 4.1F7discharge-contradiction∎

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.

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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