Math 362: Real and Abstract Analysis

College of the Holy Cross, Spring 2013

Homework 3 Solutions

1. Suppose Z is a zero set.

(a) Show that Z is measurable.

We need to show that for any subset X of Rn , m∗ (X) = m∗ (X ∩ Z) + m∗ (X ∩ Z c ).
By subadditivity,
m∗ (X) ≤ m∗ (X ∩ Z) + m∗ (X ∩ Z c ).
On the other hand, X ∩ Z ⊂ Z, so m∗ (X ∩ Z) ≤ m∗ (Z) = 0, so m∗ (X ∩ Z) = 0.
Since X ∩ Z c ⊂ X, m∗ (X ∩ Z c ) ≤ m∗ (X). Thus

m∗ (X ∩ Z) + m∗ (X ∩ Z c ) = m∗ (X ∩ Z c ) ≤ m∗ (X).

(b) Show that if A is any measurable set, then m(A ∪ Z) = m(A).

Since A and Z are measurable, A ∪ Z is measurable. Since A ⊂ A ∪ Z, m(A) ≤
m(A∪Z). On the other hand, by subadditivity m(A∪Z) ≤ m(A)+m(Z) = m(A).

2. Show that any open set in R2 is a countable union of open rectangles.

Hint: Consider rectangles whose vertices have rational coordinates.
Let C be the collection of all rectangles in R2 with rational vertices. Each such rectangle
is determined by a pair of opposite corners. Each corner is a point in Q2 , so the formula

f (q1 , q2 ) = the rectangle with opposite corners q1 and q2

defines an onto map f : Q2 → C. Since Q2 is countable, C is countable.

Let U be any open subset of R2 . Given any x ∈ U there∪ is an open rectangle Rx with
rational vertices such that x ∈ Rx ⊂ U . Clearly U = x∈U Rx . Each Rx is in C, which
is countable, so the collection of all Rx for x ∈ U must also be countable.

3. Suppose A1 , A2 and A3 are measurable subsets of Rn .

(a) Show that m(A1 ∪ A2 ) = m(A1 ) + m(A2 ) − m(A1 ∩ A2 ).

Write A1 ∪ A2 = A1 ∪ (A2 ∩ Ac1 ). The sets A1 and A2 ∩ Ac1 are measurable and
disjoint, so
m(A1 ∪ A2 ) = m(A1 ) + m(A2 ∩ Ac1 ).
Now A2 = (A2 ∩ A1 ) ∪ (A2 ∩ Ac1 ) is again a disjoint union of measurable sets, so

m(A2 ) = m(A2 ∩ A1 ) + m(A2 ∩ Ac1 ),

and thus m(A2 ∩ Ac1 ) = m(A2 ) − m(A1 ∩ A2 ).

1
 (b) Write down a formula for m(A1 ∪ A2 ∪ A3 ) in terms of the measures of A1 , A2 ,
A3 and their intersections.
Replacing A2 with A2 ∪ A3 in the formula from part (a) gives

m(A1 ∪ A2 ∪ A3 ) = m(A1 ) + m(A2 ∪ A3 ) − m(A1 ∩ (A2 ∪ A3 ))

= m(A1 ) + m(A2 ∪ A3 ) − m((A1 ∩ A2 ) ∪ (A1 ∩ A3 )).

Apply the formula from (a) to the remaining two unions:

m(A2 ∪ A3 ) = m(A2 ) + m(A3 ) − m(A2 ∩ A3 )

m((A1 ∩ A2 ) ∪ (A1 ∩ A3 )) = m(A1 ∩ A2 ) + m(A1 ∩ A3 ) − m(A1 ∩ A2 ∩ A3 )

Combining the equations above gives

m(A1 ∪ A2 ∪ A3 ) = m(A1 ) + m(A2 ) + m(A3 )

− m(A1 ∩ A2 ) − m(A1 ∩ A3 ) − m(A2 ∩ A3 )
+ m(A1 ∩ A2 ∩ A3 ).

4. Fix 0 < δ < 1. Construct a subset Cδ of [0, 1] in the same manner as the Cantor set,
except that at stage k remove the middle intervals of length 3δk from each remaining
subinterval.

(a) Show that each step in this process is allowed, as follows. Let Lk be the length of
δ
each interval in stage k. Prove by induction that Lk > 3k−1 .
Hint: What is Lk+1 in terms of Lk ?
δ
When k = 1 we have L1 = 1 and 3k−1 = δ < 1, so the statement is true. Suppose
it is true for some k. Then
( )
1 δ
Lk+1 = Lk − k
2 3
δ
and by the induction hypothesis we have Lk > 3k−1 , so
( )
1 δ δ δ
Lk+1 > k−1
− k = k
2 3 3 3
as desired.
(b) Prove that Cδ is Lebesgue measurable and find m(Cδ ).
At stage k we remove 2k−1 intervals of length 3δk . The complement of Cδ in
[0, 1] therefore consists of a countable union of disjoint intervals. It is therefore
measurable, with measure
∑∞
δ
2k−1 k = δ.
k=1
3
Cδ is therefore measurable with measure 1 − δ.