Alphabeta Math
Remark‡ sources checked 2026-07-26‡ not proved here
‡ Recorded, not proved here. This statement is included so the library can refer to it honestly, with a citation to the literature. It is not proved anywhere in this library: the track that would prove it has not been developed here yet.

Dominated convergence theorem

Statement

Let (X,A,μ) be a measure space, let fn:X→R be measurable with fn→f pointwise almost everywhere, and suppose there is a single g∈L1(μ) with ∣fn∣≤g almost everywhere for every n. Then f and every fn are integrable,

lim⁡n→∞∫X∣fn−f∣ dμ=0,hencelim⁡n→∞∫Xfn dμ=∫Xf dμ.

The domination hypothesis cannot be dropped: fn=n 1(0,1/n) on [0,1] converges pointwise to 0 while ∫fn dλ=1, and the least function dominating all fn is 1/x, which is not integrable on (0,1).

Remarks

Not proved in this library. It is recorded with citations and used in no proof here.

What would prove it. Fatou's lemma (Fatou's lemma ‡) applied to the nonnegative sequences g+fn and g−fn, whose liminfs are g+f and g−f; the two resulting inequalities squeeze ∫fn to ∫f. The convergence in L1 comes from the same argument applied to 2g−∣fn−f∣≥0. So the three convergence theorems form one block: the monotone convergence theorem is proved from the construction of the integral, Fatou from monotone convergence, and this from Fatou.

Which page it serves. It is the endpoint of the Riemann integral page and of the uniform convergence page. Uniform convergence on a bounded interval is what this library can offer for interchanging a limit and an integral, and it is a much heavier hypothesis than pointwise convergence with a dominating function.

The Riemann-level substitute that is in scope. Arzela's bounded convergence theorem, that a uniformly bounded sequence of Riemann integrable functions on [a,b] converging pointwise to a Riemann integrable limit may be integrated term by term, is a theorem about the Riemann integral and is not deferred. It needs the limit function's Riemann integrability as a hypothesis, which is exactly the weakness the Lebesgue theory removes.

Depends on

Used by

Dependency tree · one level

2 results within one dependency step of this one, each drawn at its shortest distance from it. An arrow runs from a result to what uses it, so the chart reads left to right and ends at this result, which carries a heavier outline. Every node is a link to that result. Click elsewhere on the chart to enlarge it.

Sources