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Rapid filters are not Lebesgue measurable

Statement

Every rapid filter on ω, regarded through characteristic functions as a subset of Cantor space with coin measure (and hence through the standard coding as a real set), is not Lebesgue measurable.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A filter F on ω extending the Fréchet filter that is rapid in the sense of the definition item, viewed as {χa:a∈F}⊆2ω.

[F1]

Rapid filters and the Raisonnier family: rapidity and its uniform-bounding form.

[F2]

Dyadic coding supplies coin measure and its completed Lebesgue transfer: the coin measure ν on Cantor space, its completion, and the transfer to Lebesgue measure through the standard coding.

[F3]

Filter on a set: F is upward closed, closed under intersections, and does not contain ∅.

[F4]

Lebesgue density theorem: almost every point of a measurable set of positive measure is a density point, so for every measurable B and ε>0 the open set {s:ν(B∩[s])>(1−ε)ν([s])} covers B modulo a null set.

[F5]

Lambda-systems, or Dynkin systems with Dynkin's pi-lambda theorem: Dynkin's π-λ theorem, used for the zero-one law below. Countable additivity and continuity from below are part of [F2].

[F6]

The Axiom of Countable Choice (ACω): the ambient choice hypothesis of this page, used through [F2] and [F4].

Proof

1.1assume-contraF3F6

Assume for contradiction that F is measurable for the coin measure ν. Since F extends the Fréchet filter, it is closed under finite changes: if a∈F and a′ differs from a only below k, then a∩(ω∖k)∈F and is contained in a′, so a′∈F. Membership in F therefore depends only on the coordinates at and above any fixed level n.

1.2F4

To contradict nullity, fix an arbitrary closed B⊆2ω with ν(B)>0. The density theorem supplies a finite nonempty family T0 of binary strings such that every s∈T0 satisfies ν(B∩[s])>(1−2−2)ν([s]). For example, enumerate canonically the positive-length strings satisfying the display and take the first one whose cylinder meets B. Put n0=max⁡{lh⁡(s):s∈T0}.

2.1F2F5step 1.1

Zero-one law: for each n, the measurable tail event F is independent of the sigma-algebra generated by the first n coordinates. Hence the family of measurable A satisfying ν(F∩A)=ν(F)ν(A) contains every finite-coordinate cylinder. It is a lambda-system, while the cylinders are a generating pi-system, so [F5] makes the family the whole Borel sigma-algebra and then its completion. Taking A=F gives ν(F)=ν(F)2, hence ν(F)∈{0,1}.

2.2F4step 1.2

Recursively, after finite nonempty Ti and ni are fixed, let Si be the canonically enumerated set of strings t with lh⁡(t)>ni and ν(B∩[t])>(1−2−(i+3))ν([t]). The density theorem gives ν(B∖⋃t∈Si[t])=0. Let Ti+1 be the first finite initial segment of this enumeration for which ν(B∖⋃t∈Ti+1[t])<2−(ni+i+2), and put ni+1=max⁡{lh⁡(t):t∈Ti+1}. These choices are canonical, and every length in Ti+1 exceeds ni, so n0<n1<⋯.

3.1F2F3step 2.1

The value is not one. The complement map T(a)=ω∖a is measure preserving, and T[F]∩F=∅: otherwise a filter would contain both a and its complement and hence their empty intersection. If ν(F)=1, then ν(T[F])=1, contradicting additivity. Thus the assumed measurable filter is null.

3.2F1step 2.2

Apply rapidity to the increasing function i↦ni+1. There is a∈F such that ∣a∩ni+1∣≤i for every i.

4.1step 1.2step 2.2step 3.2

Choose any s0∈T0 whose cylinder meets B; the canonical first such member suffices. Recursively suppose si∈Ti has been chosen and has value 1 on every coordinate in a∩lh⁡(si). Put Hi={z∈2ω:z(m)=1 for every m∈a∩[lh⁡(si),ni+1)}. The coordinates defining Hi lie above those defining [si], so the two events are independent, and step 3.2 gives ν(Hi)≥2−i. The density bound for si and lh⁡(si)≤ni therefore give ν(Hi∩[si]∩B)≥ν(Hi)ν([si])−ν([si]∖B)>(2−i−2−(i+2))2−lh⁡(si)≥3⋅2−(ni+i+2). For i=0 use the T0 bound in step 1.2; for i>0 the defining bound on Ti in step 2.2 is exactly the displayed 2−(i+2) conditional error. The uncovered part of B at level Ti+1 has measure below 2−(ni+i+2), so choose zi∈Hi∩[si]∩B∩⋃t∈Ti+1[t] and then the canonical si+1∈Ti+1 with zi∈[si+1]. Since both strings are initial segments of zi and lh⁡(si+1)>ni≥lh⁡(si), we have si⊊si+1; the definition of Hi preserves the induction invariant.

5.1F3step 4.1

Let b=⋃isi. The points zi∈B converge to b, because both zi and b extend si+1 and the string lengths tend to infinity; closedness gives b∈B. The induction invariant and unbounded lengths give a⊆b, so b∈F by upward closure. Thus every closed positive-set B meets F.

6.1discharge-contradictionF2step 3.1step 5.1∎

Hence F has positive outer measure: if it had outer measure zero, an open O⊇F with ν(O)<1 would have a closed positive complement missing F, contrary to step 5.1. This contradicts ν(F)=0 from step 3.1. The assumption of measurability is false, and [F2] transfers the conclusion to Lebesgue measure under the standard coding.

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