# Proving that $(\mu^{*})^{*}=\mu^*$ for a measure $\mu$

I am not sure I am using the standard definitions so I will open by defining what I need:

1. Let $X$ be a set, $\nu:\, \mathscr{P}(X)\to[0,\infty]$ will be called an external measure if $\nu(\emptyset)=0$ and for any $\{A_{i}\}_{i=1}^{\infty}\subseteq\mathscr{P}(X)$ (not neccesarily disjoint) it holds that $\nu(\cup_{i=1}^{\infty}A_{i})\leq\sum_{i=1}^{\infty}\nu(A_{i})$

2. Let $\nu$ be an external measure on a set $X$ then we say that a set $A$ is $\nu$ measurable if for any $E\subseteq X$: $\nu(E)=\nu(E\cap A)+\nu(E\cap A^{c})$

Let $\mu$ be a $\sigma$-additive measure on an algebra $A\subseteq X$, let $\mu^*$ be the outer measure on $X$ that comes from $\mu$.

It was proven in another exercise that the set of $\nu:=\mu^{*}$ measurable sets, $M$, is a $\sigma$ algebra and that $\nu$ is $\sigma$-additive on $M$.

Since $\nu$ is also a measure on the algebra $M$ there is an outer measure $\nu^*=(\mu^*)^{*}$.

The exercise wishes to prove that $(\mu^{*})^{*}=\mu^*$.

I don't really know how to even start here, what I first wanted to figure out is what is $M$. my intuition is that $A=M$ but I tried to prove it and couldn't start (I wrote the definitions but I couldn't see why if $B\in A$ it is $\nu$-measurable, not to mention the other direction which seems even harder).

Can someone please help me get started on this problem ? maybe a hint or an observation that might help me figure out what to do?

ADDED: by an outer measure that comes from a measure I mean $$\forall E\subseteq X:\,\nu(E):=Inf\{\sum_{i=1}^{\infty}\mu(A_{i})\,|\, A_{i}\in A,E\subseteq\cup A_{i}\}$$

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One question. How do you define an outer measure on $X$ coming from a measure? –  Thomas E. Dec 16 '12 at 20:12
@ThomasE. - $\forall E\subseteq X:\,\nu(E):=Inf\{\sum_{i=1}^{\infty}\nu(A_{i})\,|\, A_{i}\in A,E\subseteq\cup A_{i}\}$ –  Belgi Dec 16 '12 at 20:16
@ThomasE. - hope this makes things clear now –  Belgi Dec 16 '12 at 20:16
Thanks, it does. Another question though. Did you mean to show that $(\mu^{\*})^{\*}=\mu^{\*}$? Or that $(\mu^{\*})^{\*}|_{A}=\mu$? As currently stated, the two set-functions are defined on different domains. –  Thomas E. Dec 16 '12 at 20:41
@ThomasE. - yes, thanks for the correction. I updated the question –  Belgi Dec 16 '12 at 20:45
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## 1 Answer

Let $\scr A$ be the $\sigma-$algebra on which $\mu$ is defined, and let $\scr M$ be the set of measurable sets of $\mu^*$.

Claim: $\forall E\subseteq X[\mu^{**}(E)\leq\mu^*(E)]$

Proof: Note that $\scr A\subseteq\scr M$. Thus: $\{\sum_{i=1}^{\infty}\mu(A_{i})\,|\, E\subseteq\cup A_{i}, A_{i}\in \scr{A}\}\subseteq$$\{\sum_{i=1}^{\infty}\mu(A_{i})\,|\, E\subseteq\cup A_{i}, A_{i}\in \scr{M}\}, Hence: \inf\{\sum_{i=1}^{\infty}\mu(A_{i})\,|\, E\subseteq\cup A_{i}, A_{i}\in \scr{A}\}\geq$$\inf\{\sum_{i=1}^{\infty}\mu(A_{i})\,|\, E\subseteq\cup A_{i}, A_{i}\in \scr{M}\}$

Now we proceed with the rest of the proof. Let $\epsilon>0$. Let $(A_i)_{i\in Z^+}$ be a sequence of sets in $\scr{M}$, such that $E\subseteq\cup_{i\in Z^+}A_i$ and $\sum_{i=1}^{\infty}\mu^*(A_i)<\mu^{**}(E)+\epsilon$. For each $A_i$, we choose a sequence of sets $(A_{i,j})_{j\in Z^+}$ in $\scr A$ such that $A_i\subseteq \cup_{j\in Z^+}A_{i,j}$ and $\sum_{j\in Z^+}\mu(A_{i,j})<\mu^*(A_i)+\frac{\epsilon}{2^{i}}$. It follows that: $$\sum_{i\in Z^+}\sum_{j\in Z^+}\mu(A_{i,j})\leq\sum_{i\in Z^+}[\mu^*(A_i)+\frac{\epsilon}{2^{i}}]=\sum_{i\in Z^+}\mu^*(A_i)+\epsilon\leq (\mu^{**}(E)+\epsilon)+\epsilon$$

Note that $(A_{i,j})_{i,j\in Z^+}$ is a countable sequence of elements of $\scr A$ whose union contains $E$. Therefore, $\mu^*(E)\leq\sum_{i\in Z^+}\sum_{j\in Z^+}\mu(A_{i,j})$. Hence: $$\mu^*(E)\leq\mu^{**}(E)+2\epsilon$$ Since $\epsilon$ is an arbitrary positive number, we get $\mu^*(E)\leq\mu^{**}(E)$. We combine this with the previous claim to get $\mu^*(E)=\mu^{**}(E)$.

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Thanks for the answer, I will review it later today –  Belgi Dec 25 '12 at 16:38
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