Hausdorff measure and densities
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Hausdorff measure and densities#
Recall the definition of Hausdorff measure from Example 5:
Definition 20 (Hausdorff measure)
For \(X\) a metric space, \(s\geq 0\) and \(A\subset X\), let
where the infimum is taken over all countable
such that
Finally, define \(\mathcal H^s(A)=\sup_{\delta>0}\psi_\delta(A)\).
We are interested in the measure \(\mathcal H^s|_S\), for \(S\subset X\) some \(\mathcal H^s\)-measurable set with \(\mathcal H^s(S)<\infty\). In particular, we require some counterpart to the Lebesgue density theorem, but, of course, \(\mathcal H^s|_X\) may not be locally finite.
Definition 21 (Hausdorff density)
Let \(X\) be a metric space, \(A\subset X\) and \(s\geq 0\). The upper and lower Hausdorff densities of \(A\) are
and
Lemma 5
Let \(X\) be a metric space, \(s\geq 0\) and \(A\subset X\) with \(\mathcal H^s(A)<\infty\). Then
for \(\mathcal H^s\)-a.e. \(x\in A\).
Proof. The set of \(x\in A\) with \(\Theta^{*,s}(A,x)<2^{-s}\) is a countable union countable of the sets
Thus, for the first inequality, it suffices to show that \(\mathcal H^s(S_\delta)=0\) for all \(\delta>0\).
Fix \(\delta,\epsilon>0\). We may cover \(S_\delta\) by sets \(E_1,E_2,\ldots\) such that, for each \(i\in \mathbb N\), \(\operatorname{diam}E_i<\epsilon\), \(S_\delta\cap E_i\neq \emptyset\) and
For each \(i\in \mathbb N\) let \(x_i\in S_\delta \cap E_i\) and set \(r_i =\operatorname{diam}E_i\). Then
Since \(\epsilon>0\) is arbitrary and \(\delta>0\), this implies \(\mathcal H^s(S_\delta)=0\), as required.
For the second inequality, since \(\mathcal H^s\) is Borel regular (see Example 42), it suffices to assume that \(A\) is Borel. As before, given \(\delta>0\), it suffices to prove that
satisfies \(\mathcal H^s(S)=0\). Fix \(\epsilon>0\) and let \(U\supset S\) be open with
(which exists by the outer regularity of the measure \(\mathcal H^s|_A\)). Let \(\mathcal B_\epsilon\) be the collection of balls \(B\) centred at a point of \(S\) with \(\operatorname{rad}B<\epsilon\) such that \(B\subset U\) and
This is a Vitali cover of \(S\). Let \(\mathcal B'_\epsilon\) be obtained from Proposition 1.
Since \(\mathcal H^s(S)<\infty\), \(S\) is separable (see Example 44) and so \(\mathcal B'_\epsilon =\{B_1,B_2,\ldots\}\) is countable and the conclusion of Proposition 1 states that
for each \(n\in\mathbb N\). Since \(\operatorname{diam}B_i<\epsilon\) for each \(i\in \mathbb N\), the \(B_i\) and \(5B_i\) may be used to estimate \(\mathcal H^s_{10\epsilon}(S)\). For each \(n\in\mathbb N\) we obtain
where the second inequality follows by (21). Since the \(B_i\) are disjoint and \(\mathcal H^s(A)<\infty\), the second term converges to 0 as \(n \to\infty\). Since the \(B_i\) are subsets of \(U\) we obtain
Since \(\epsilon>0\) is arbitrary, this implies \(\mathcal H^s(S) \leq \mathcal H^s(S)/(1+\delta)\) and hence \(\mathcal H^s(S)=0\), as required.
Lemma 6
Let \(X\) be a metric space, \(s\geq 0\) and let \(A\subset X\) be \(\mathcal H^s\)-measurable with \(\mathcal H^s(A)<\infty\). Then
for \(\mathcal H^s\)-a.e. \(x\not\in A\).
Proof. It suffices to show that, for \(t>0\), the set
satisfies \(\mathcal H^s(S)=0\). Fix \(\epsilon>0\). Since \(A\) is \(\mathcal H^s\)-measurable, \(\mathcal H^s|_A\) is Borel regular. Therefore, since \(\mathcal H^s|_A(S)=0\), there exists an open \(U\supset S\) with
For each \(x\in S\) and \(\delta>0\) there exists a ball \(B\) centred on \(x\) with \(\operatorname{rad}B<\delta\) such that
By Lemma 4 there exists a disjoint collection \(\mathcal B\) of such balls such that
Since \(\mathcal H^s(A)<\infty\), \(A\) is separable and each of these balls contains a point of \(A\), \(\mathcal B\) is countable. Therefore
Since \(\delta,\epsilon>0\) are arbitrary, this completes the proof.
Exercises#
Example 41
Let \(\mathcal V\subset [0,1]\) be a Vitali set as constructed in Exercise 8.
Show that, for any Borel \(B\subset \mathcal V\), \(\mathcal L^1(B)=0\).
Deduce that \(\mathcal L^1([0,1]\setminus \mathcal V)=1\) and hence, if \(C\) is a Borel set with
\[[0,1]\setminus \mathcal V\subset C \subset [0,1],\]then \(\mathcal L^1(C)=1\).
Hence show that \(\mathcal L^1(\mathcal V \cap C)=\mathcal L^1(\mathcal V)>0\).
Note however that we cannot deduce the value of \(\mathcal L^1(\mathcal V)\) from our construction in Example 8. Indeed, for any \(\epsilon>0\), that construction may produce a \(\mathcal V\subset [0,\epsilon]\).
Example 42
Let \(X\) be a metric space and \(s\geq 0\).
Show that \(\mathcal H^s\) is Borel regular. Hint: first show that in the definition of \(\mathcal H^s\), we may take \(F\) to be the collection of closed sets.
We are usually interested in \(\mathcal H^s|_A\) for some \(A\subset X\). Show that for any \(A\subset X\), \(\mathcal H^s|_A\) is a Borel measure.
Now assume that \(A\subset X\) is \(\mathcal H^s\)-measurable with \(\mathcal H^s(A)<\infty\). Show that \(\mathcal H^s|_A\) is Borel regular. Hint: show that there exist Borel sets \(B\supset A \supset B'\) with \(\mathcal H^s(B\setminus B')=0\).
Show that \(\mathcal H^s|_A\) may not be Borel regular if \(A\) is not \(\mathcal H^s\) measurable. Hint: consider Example 41.
Example 43
In this exercise we construct the four corner Cantor set. Let \(K_0 = [0,1]^2\). Let \(K_1\) be the “four corners” of \(K_0\) of side length 1/4. That is
Inductively, \(K_n\) is constructed by taking the four corners of side length \(1/4^n\) of all the squares of \(K_{n-1}\). Finally let \(K=\bigcap_{n\in\mathbb N}K_n\), a compact set. Show that \(0<\mathcal H^1(K)<\infty\).
Example 44
For \(s\geq 0\) let \(X\) be a metric space with \(\mathcal H^s(X)<\infty\). Show that \(X\) is separable.