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A countable pure-step integrator evaluates a continuous integrand as the absolutely convergent weighted sum of its values at the jumps

Statement

Let a<ba<b. Write I:RRI:\mathbb R\to\mathbb R for the unit step I(t)=0I(t)=0 for t0t\le0 and I(t)=1I(t)=1 for t>0t>0. Let (sn)nN(s_n)_{n\in\mathbb N} be points of the open interval (a,b)(a,b), and let (cn)nN(c_n)_{n\in\mathbb N} be reals with cn0c_n\ge0 and cn\sum c_n convergent.

Then for every x[a,b]x\in[a,b] the series ncnI(xsn)\sum_n c_nI(x-s_n) converges, so

α(x):=n=0cnI(xsn)\alpha(x):=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}c_nI(x-s_n)

defines a nondecreasing α:[a,b]R\alpha:[a,b]\to\mathbb R, which therefore has bounded variation.

For every continuous f:[a,b]Rf:[a,b]\to\mathbb R the integral abfdα\int_a^b f\,d\alpha exists, the series ncnf(sn)\sum_n c_nf(s_n) converges absolutely, and

abfdα=n=0cnf(sn).\int_a^b f\,d\alpha=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}c_nf(s_n).

The points sns_n are not required to be distinct, and any cnc_n may be zero.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: Reals a<ba<b, points sn(a,b)s_n\in(a,b), reals cn0c_n\ge0 with cn\sum c_n convergent, and a continuous f:[a,b]Rf:[a,b]\to\mathbb R.

[L1]

A nondecreasing sequence of reals whose range is bounded above converges, with limit the supremum of its range (A nondecreasing sequence bounded above converges to the supremum of its range, and a nonincreasing sequence bounded below to the infimum); a series converges when its sequence of partial sums converges (Series, partial sums, convergence and the sum, divergence, and the tail series).

[L2]

A real function on [a,b][a,b] has bounded variation if and only if it is a difference of two nondecreasing functions (Jordan decomposition for functions of bounded variation); the total variation is the supremum of the partition sums i<ng(ti+1)g(ti)\sum_{i<n}|g(t_{i+1})-g(t_i)| (Bounded variation and total variation on an interval).

[L3]

If f:[a,b]Rf:[a,b]\to\mathbb R is continuous and α:[a,b]R\alpha:[a,b]\to\mathbb R has bounded variation, then abfdα\int_a^b f\,d\alpha exists (A continuous integrand is Riemann–Stieltjes integrable against every bounded-variation integrator).

[L4]

Whenever the integrals on the right exist, abfd(uα+vβ)=uabfdα+vabfdβ\int_a^b f\,d(u\alpha+v\beta)=u\int_a^b f\,d\alpha+v\int_a^b f\,d\beta (Linearity and interval additivity of the Riemann–Stieltjes integral).

[L5]

If abfdα\int_a^b f\,d\alpha exists, α\alpha has bounded variation, and f(x)M|f(x)|\le M on [a,b][a,b], then abfdαMVar[a,b](α)\bigl|\int_a^b f\,d\alpha\bigr|\le M\operatorname{Var}_{[a,b]}(\alpha) (The total-variation bound for a Riemann–Stieltjes integral).

[L7]

The Riemann–Stieltjes sum of a tagged partition (P,ξ)(P,\xi) is S(f,α;P,ξ)=i<nf(ξi)(α(ti+1)α(ti))S(f,\alpha;P,\xi)=\sum_{i<n}f(\xi_i)(\alpha(t_{i+1})-\alpha(t_i)), and abfdα=I\int_a^b f\,d\alpha=I means that for every ε>0\varepsilon>0 some δ>0\delta>0 makes S(f,α;P,ξ)I<ε|S(f,\alpha;P,\xi)-I|<\varepsilon for every tagged partition of mesh below δ\delta (Riemann–Stieltjes sums, upper and lower sums, and the Riemann–Stieltjes integral, Partition of [a,b][a,b] as a finite strictly increasing list a=t0<t1<<tn=ba = t_0 < t_1 < \dots < t_n = b, its subintervals and their lengths, its mesh, refinement, and the common refinement of two partitions, Tagged partitions of [a,b][a,b], with a tag ξi\xi_i in each subinterval, and the Riemann sum S(f,P,ξ)=if(ξi)ΔiS(f,P,\xi) = \sum_i f(\xi_i)\,\Delta_i).

[L9]

Continuity of ff at ss means that for every ε>0\varepsilon>0 there is δ>0\delta>0 with f(x)f(s)<ε|f(x)-f(s)|<\varepsilon whenever xx lies in the domain and xs<δ|x-s|<\delta (Continuity of f:ARf : A \to \mathbb{R} at a point of AA and on AA: the ε\varepsilon-δ\delta condition, its agreement with limxcf(x)=f(c)\lim_{x \to c} f(x) = f(c) at a limit point, and continuity at an isolated point); convergence of a real sequence is the usual ε\varepsilon–threshold condition (Limits and Cauchy sequences of reals).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1

Fix x[a,b]x\in[a,b]. Each term cnI(xsn)c_nI(x-s_n) lies in [0,cn][0,c_n], so the partial sums of ncnI(xsn)\sum_n c_nI(x-s_n) are nondecreasing and bounded above by ncn\sum_n c_n. By [L1] the series converges and α(x)\alpha(x) is defined, with 0α(x)ncn0\le\alpha(x)\le\sum_n c_n.

givenL1
1.2

Fix s(a,b)s\in(a,b) and put σ(x):=I(xs)\sigma(x):=I(x-s) on [a,b][a,b]. Then σ\sigma is nondecreasing, hence of bounded variation by [L2]. Let ε>0\varepsilon>0 and take δ>0\delta>0 from [L9] for ff at ss, so that f(x)f(s)<ε|f(x)-f(s)|<\varepsilon whenever xs<δ|x-s|<\delta. Let (P,ξ)(P,\xi) be a tagged partition of mesh below δ\delta. The increment σ(ti+1)σ(ti)\sigma(t_{i+1})-\sigma(t_i) is 11 when tis<ti+1t_i\le s<t_{i+1} and 00 otherwise, and because as<ba\le s<b exactly one index ii satisfies tis<ti+1t_i\le s<t_{i+1}. Hence S(f,σ;P,ξ)=f(ξi)S(f,\sigma;P,\xi)=f(\xi_i) for that index, and tiξiti+1t_i\le\xi_i\le t_{i+1} with tis<ti+1t_i\le s<t_{i+1} give ξisti+1ti<δ|\xi_i-s|\le t_{i+1}-t_i<\delta, so S(f,σ;P,ξ)f(s)<ε|S(f,\sigma;P,\xi)-f(s)|<\varepsilon. By [L7], abfdσ=f(s)\int_a^b f\,d\sigma=f(s).

givenL2L7L9
2.1

If xyx\le y then I(xsn)I(ysn)I(x-s_n)\le I(y-s_n) for every nn, because II is nondecreasing and xsnysnx-s_n\le y-s_n. Multiplying by cn0c_n\ge0 and summing, every partial sum for xx is at most the corresponding partial sum for yy, so the limits satisfy α(x)α(y)\alpha(x)\le\alpha(y) by [L1]. Thus α\alpha is nondecreasing, and α=α0\alpha=\alpha-0 exhibits it as a difference of two nondecreasing functions, so [L2] gives α\alpha bounded variation.

step 1.1givenL1L2
2.2

For NNN\in\mathbb N set αN(x):=n<NcnI(xsn)\alpha_N(x):=\sum_{n<N}c_nI(x-s_n), a finite sum. Each summand is a nonnegative multiple of a function of the form treated in step 1.2, so applying [L4] finitely many times, with the integral of each summand supplied by step 1.2, gives abfdαN=n<Ncnf(sn)\int_a^b f\,d\alpha_N=\sum_{n<N}c_nf(s_n).

step 1.2L4
3.1

By [L6] there is M0M\ge0 with f(x)M|f(x)|\le M on [a,b][a,b]. Since 0cnf(sn)Mcn0\le|c_nf(s_n)|\le Mc_n and cn\sum c_n converges, [L8] makes ncnf(sn)\sum_n c_nf(s_n) absolutely convergent, hence convergent. By step 2.1 and [L3] the integral abfdα\int_a^b f\,d\alpha exists.

givenstep 2.1L3L6L8
3.2

Set βN:=ααN\beta_N:=\alpha-\alpha_N. For each xx, βN(x)=nNcnI(xsn)\beta_N(x)=\sum_{n\ge N}c_nI(x-s_n), the tail of the series in step 1.1; the argument of steps 1.1 and 2.1 applies verbatim to it, so βN\beta_N is nondecreasing with bounded variation. Since sn(a,b)s_n\in(a,b) we have I(asn)=0I(a-s_n)=0 and I(bsn)=1I(b-s_n)=1, so βN(a)=0\beta_N(a)=0 and βN(b)=nNcn\beta_N(b)=\sum_{n\ge N}c_n. A nondecreasing function has every partition sum equal to βN(b)βN(a)\beta_N(b)-\beta_N(a), because each increment is nonnegative and the sum telescopes, so [L2] gives Var[a,b](βN)=nNcn\operatorname{Var}_{[a,b]}(\beta_N)=\sum_{n\ge N}c_n.

step 1.1step 2.1givenL1L2
4.1

Both αN\alpha_N and βN\beta_N are of bounded variation, so [L3] makes abfdαN\int_a^b f\,d\alpha_N and abfdβN\int_a^b f\,d\beta_N exist, and α=αN+βN\alpha=\alpha_N+\beta_N with [L4] gives abfdα=abfdαN+abfdβN\int_a^b f\,d\alpha=\int_a^b f\,d\alpha_N+\int_a^b f\,d\beta_N. Using step 2.2 and then [L5] with the bound MM of step 3.1, abfdαn<Ncnf(sn)=abfdβNMnNcn.\Bigl|\int_a^b f\,d\alpha-\sum_{n<N}c_nf(s_n)\Bigr|=\Bigl|\int_a^b f\,d\beta_N\Bigr|\le M\sum_{n\ge N}c_n.

step 2.2step 3.1step 3.2L3L4L5
5.1

Convergence of cn\sum c_n makes its tails nNcn\sum_{n\ge N}c_n tend to 00 as NN increases, so given ε>0\varepsilon>0 the right side of step 4.1 is below ε\varepsilon for all large NN. Hence the partial sums n<Ncnf(sn)\sum_{n<N}c_nf(s_n) converge to abfdα\int_a^b f\,d\alpha, and by step 3.1 that series converges absolutely. By [L1] and [L9] its sum is abfdα\int_a^b f\,d\alpha, which is the claimed identity.

step 3.1step 4.1givenL1L9

Remark

The two endpoints behave differently, which is why the jumps are confined to the open interval. A jump at aa would be harmless: I(xa)I(x-a) vanishes only at x=ax=a, the increment α(b)α(a)\alpha(b)-\alpha(a) still records the whole weight, and step 2.1 goes through unchanged because its counting argument needs only as<ba\le s<b. A jump at bb genuinely breaks the identity: I(xb)=0I(x-b)=0 for every x[a,b]x\in[a,b], so such a term contributes nothing at all to α\alpha, yet it would contribute cnf(b)c_nf(b) to the right-hand sum. The hypothesis sn(a,b)s_n\in(a,b) excludes that case, and it is the hypothesis Rudin states.

Rudin's Theorem 6.16 additionally requires the sns_n to be distinct. Nothing in the proof above uses distinctness, so it is not assumed here.

Continuity of ff is not decorative. cex-common-jump-prevents-riemann-stieltjes-integrability exhibits an ff and an α\alpha sharing a single jump for which no mesh limit exists, and a single step integrator is exactly the α\alpha of that counterexample.

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