1
$\begingroup$

I have doubts as to how the dominated convergence theorem is applied in contexts where you have nets and not sequences. For context, my question is related to an answer to this question https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/217702/when-can-we-interchange-the-derivative-with-an-expectation#:~:text=2%20Answers,18%2C%202020%20at%2017:50. The answer is:

Lemma. Let $X\in\mathcal{X}$ be a random variable $g\colon \mathbb{R}\times \mathcal{X} \to \mathbb{R}$ a function such that $g(t, X)$ is integrable for all $t$ and $g$ is continuously differentiable w.r.t. $t$. Assume that there is a random variable $Z$ such that $|\frac{\partial}{\partial t} g(t, X)| \leq Z$ a.s. for all $t$ and $\mathbb{E}(Z) < \infty$. Then $$\frac{\partial}{\partial t} \mathbb{E}\bigl(g(t, X)\bigr) = \mathbb{E}\bigl(\frac{\partial}{\partial t} g(t, X)\bigr).$$

Proof. We have $$\begin{align*} \frac{\partial}{\partial t} \mathbb{E}\bigl(g(t, X)\bigr) &= \lim_{h\to 0} \frac1h \Bigl( \mathbb{E}\bigl(g(t+h, X)\bigr) - \mathbb{E}\bigl(g(t, X)\bigr) \Bigr) \\ &= \lim_{h\to 0} \mathbb{E}\Bigl( \frac{g(t+h, X) - g(t, X)}{h} \Bigr) \\ &= \lim_{h\to 0} \mathbb{E}\Bigl( \frac{\partial}{\partial t} g(\tau(h), X) \Bigr), \end{align*}$$ where $\tau(h) \in (t, t+h)$ exists by the [mean value theorem][1]. By assumption we have $$\Bigl| \frac{\partial}{\partial t} g(\tau(h), X) \Bigr| \leq Z$$ and thus we can use the [dominated convergence theorem][2] to conclude $$\begin{equation*} \frac{\partial}{\partial t} \mathbb{E}\bigl(g(t, X)\bigr) = \mathbb{E}\Bigl( \lim_{h\to 0} \frac{\partial}{\partial t} g(\tau(h), X) \Bigr) = \mathbb{E}\Bigl( \frac{\partial}{\partial t} g(t, X) \Bigr). \end{equation*}$$ This completes the proof.

My question: when using the Dominated convergence theorem, it is necessary that we are working with sequences, but here we are using a net or real numbers $\left(\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(\tau(h),X)\right)\right)_h$. I thought the solution was to just say, consider any subnet, and then take any subsequence $\left(\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(\tau(h(n)),X)\right)\right)_n$ of that subnet. Use the dominated convergence theorem on this subsequence to show that that the subsequence converges to $\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(t,X)\right)$, and then that forces the original net to converge to the same limit (a net converges to a limit if every subnet has a further subnet that converges to that limit). However, after considering this problem Counter example to dominated convergence for nets, I have doubts as to whether this reasoning is correct. Since some nets do not have subsequences, how can we know that every subnet of $\left(\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(\tau(h),X)\right)\right)_h$ will have a subsequence?

EDIT:

The issue is that for a subnet of $\left(\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(\tau(h),X)\right)\right)_h$, we don't generally know what indexing set that subnet is using, and so we can't suppose that subnet will have a subsequence (because the indexing set of the subnet might not have a countable cofinal subset). I think perhaps the solution is that since the net $\left(\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(\tau(h),X)\right)\right)_h$ is a net of real values (and $\mathbb{R}$ is first countable), we can replace the statement,

"The net $\left(\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(\tau(h),X)\right)\right)_h$ converges to a limit if and only if every subnet has a further subnet that converges to that limit"

with

"The net $\left(\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(\tau(h),X)\right)\right)_h$ converges to a limit if and only if every subsequence has a further subsequence that converges to that limit"

Then, since the indexing set $[0,\infty,\geq_{order})$, where $t\geq{order} s$ if and only if $t<s$, clearly has countable cofinal subsets, it is not an issue finding subnets of $\left(\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(\tau(h),X)\right)\right)_h$.

Does this seem correct?

$\endgroup$
8
  • $\begingroup$ I don't see any net in your question. What is the index set? $\endgroup$ Commented 19 hours ago
  • $\begingroup$ A way to avoid doubts is to proceed by contradiction and convince yourself that if the result doesn't hold, there is a sequence $h_n \to 0$ on which it fails by considering failure in $(0, 1/n)$ and picking $h_n$ one failure instance there; then DCT gives contradiction; the nets counterexample linked happens on a different space with different (and much more complicated) topology than the interval $(0,1)$ or $(0,\infty)$ $\endgroup$ Commented 18 hours ago
  • $\begingroup$ @MichaelGreinecker the net is the net of real numbers, $\left(\mathbb{E}\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial t}g(\tau(h),X)\right)\right)_h$. The indexing set is $([0,\infty),\geq_{order})$ where $t>_{order}s$ if $t<s$. $\endgroup$ Commented 15 hours ago
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ there’s no need for nets here as we’re working only with limits where $h$ ranges over $\Bbb{R}$. So, the point is that $\lim_{h\to 0} f(h)=l$ if and only if for every sequence $h_n\to 0$ (and say none of the $h_n$’s are $0$), we have $f(h_n)\to l$ (which is a much more basic theorem in topology). So, if you get a dominating function valid for all $0<|h|<\delta$, then it will also be a dominating function for (the tails of) all sequences $h_n\to 0$. $\endgroup$ Commented 15 hours ago
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ my point is simple; suppose you want to prove $\lim_{h \to 0^+}f(h)=A$ and you know you can prove it for any sequence $h_n \to 0^+$, then the relation holds since otherwise it means that there is some $\delta>0$ such that in every neighborhood of zero to the right so in particular in any interval $(0, 1/n)$ there is an $h_n$ for which $|f(h_n)-A|>\delta$ and that contradicts the sequential property above for $h_n \to 0^+$ by our choice; you can of course frame this stuff in topological terms of countable this or that but imho that is just unneccesary baggage $\endgroup$ Commented 13 hours ago

0

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.