Problem set 1

Due September 23, 1PM. (Sorry about saying September 16!) Problems 1-5, 10 (I am dropping 11 because I will not get far enough) from the notes. Here they are, with the wording changed a bit.

Problem 1 (Notes 1)   Prove that $ u_+$, defined by (1.10) is linear.

Problem 2 (Notes 2)   Prove Lemma I.8.

Hint(s). All functions here are supposed to be continuous, I just don't bother to keep on saying it.

  1. Recall, or check, that the local compactness of a metric space $ X$ means that for each point $ x\in X$ there is an $ \epsilon >0$ such that the ball $ \{y\in X;d(x,y)\le\delta\}$ is compact for $ \delta\le\epsilon.$
  2. First do the case $ n=1,$ so $ K\Subset U$ is a compact set in an open subset.
    1. Given $ \delta >0,$ use the local compactness of $ X,$ to cover $ K$ with a finite number of compact closed balls of radius at most $ \delta.$
    2. Deduce that if $ \epsilon >0$ is small enough then the set $ \{x\in
X;d(x,K)\le\epsilon\},$ where

      $\displaystyle d(x,K)=\inf\limits_{y\in K}d(x,y),$

      is compact.
    3. Show that $ d(x,K),$ for $ K$ compact, is continuous.
    4. Given $ \epsilon >0$ show that there is a continuous function $ g_\epsilon:\mathbb{R}\longrightarrow [0,1]$ such that $ g_\epsilon(t)=1$ for $ t\le\epsilon/2$ and $ g_\epsilon(t)=0$ for $ t>3\epsilon/4.$
    5. Show that $ f=g_\epsilon \circ d(\cdot,K)$ satisfies the conditions for $ n=1$ if $ \epsilon >0$ is small enough.
  3. Prove the general case by induction over $ n.$
    1. In the general case, set $ K'=K\cap U_1^\complement$ and show that the inductive hypothesis applies to $ K'$ and the $ U_j$ for $ j>1;$ let $ f'_j,$ $ j=2,\dots,n$ be the functions supplied by the inductive assumption and put $ f'=\sum_{j\ge2}f'_j.$
    2. Show that $ K_1=K\cap\{f'\le\frac12\}$ is a compact subset of $ U_1.$
    3. Using the case $ n=1$ construct a function $ F$ for $ K_1$ and $ U_1.$
    4. Use the case $ n=1$ again to find $ G$ such that $ G=1$ on $ K$ and $ \operatorname{supp}(G)\Subset\{f'+F>\frac12\}.$
    5. Make sense of the functions

      $\displaystyle f_1=F\frac{G}{f'+F},\ f_j=f_j'\frac{G}{f'+F},\ j\ge2$

      and show that they satisfies the inductive assumptions.

Problem 3 (Notes 3)   (Easy) Show that $ \sigma$-algebras are closed under countable intersections.

Problem 4 (Notes 4)   (Easy) Show that if $ \mu$ is a complete measure and $ E\subset F$ where $ F$ is measurable and has measure 0 then $ \mu(E)=0.$

Problem 5 (Notes 5)   Show that (in a locally compact metric space) compact subsets are measurable for any Borel measure. (This just means that compact sets are Borel sets if you follow through the tortuous terminology.)

Problem 6 (Notes 10)   For the space $ Y=\mathbb{N}= \left\{ 1,2, \ldots \right\} \subset
\mathbb{R}$, describe $ \mathcal{C}_0 (Y)$ and guess a description of its dual in terms of sequences.

Richard B. Melrose 2004-12-19