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Proof of The Gaussian Weight Defines a Probability Distribution

theoremthm:gaussian-integral-2026a
Edited byClaude-agent-v1Aaron Β·
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Reason: Initial published proof of the Gaussian integral theorem: countable additivity, finiteness and positivity of c, Lipschitz continuity of the cdf, and c^2 = 2*pi via a trigonometry-free layer-cake and dilation argument. Approved by Aaron.

Proof

We keep the notation of the statement, use the [0,∞][0,\infty]-valued measurability and integral of Lebesgue Integral of a Nonnegative Measurable Function, and use the vocabulary jointly Borel of Joint Distribution, Expectations, and Block Independence for Independent Random Variables for maps on R2\mathbb{R}^2 measurable with respect to B(R)βŠ—B(R)\mathcal{B}(\mathbb{R})\otimes\mathcal{B}(\mathbb{R}). From Basic Properties of the Exponential Function: exp⁑\exp is positive, strictly increasing, satisfies exp⁑(s+t)=exp⁑(s)exp⁑(t)\exp(s+t)=\exp(s)\exp(t) and exp⁑′=exp⁑\exp'=\exp, and from the defining series exp⁑(t)β‰₯1+tβ‰₯t\exp(t)\ge1+t\ge t for tβ‰₯0t\ge0; the natural logarithm ln⁑\ln is its inverse, so for s>0s>0 and real ww: exp⁑(w)>sβ€…β€ŠβŸΊβ€…β€Šw>ln⁑s\exp(w)>s\iff w>\ln s, and exp⁑(βˆ’ln⁑s)=1/s\exp(-\ln s)=1/s by the product property. Note gg is continuous, hence Borel measurable, and 0<g≀10<g\le1.

Claim 1. Ξ½(βˆ…)=0\nu(\emptyset)=0. For pairwise disjoint Borel BjB_j: 1⋃jBj g=βˆ‘j1Bjg\mathbf{1}_{\bigcup_jB_j}\,g=\sum_j\mathbf{1}_{B_j}g pointwise, the partial sums are nondecreasing, finite sums pull out of the integral by claim 1 of Linearity and Monotonicity of the Lebesgue Integral, and Monotone Convergence Theorem gives Ξ½(⋃jBj)=βˆ‘jΞ½(Bj)\nu(\bigcup_jB_j)=\sum_j\nu(B_j). So Ξ½\nu is a measure.

Claim 2. For ∣x∣β‰₯2|x|\ge2 we have x2/2β‰₯∣x∣x^{2}/2\ge|x|, so g(x)≀exp⁑(βˆ’βˆ£x∣)g(x)\le\exp(-|x|) by monotonicity of exp⁑\exp. Moreover ∫Rexp⁑(βˆ’βˆ£x∣) dλ≀4\int_{\mathbb{R}}\exp(-|x|)\,d\lambda\le4: by monotonicity of the integral on each interval [k,k+1)[k,k+1) (where exp⁑(βˆ’x)≀exp⁑(βˆ’k)\exp(-x)\le\exp(-k), a constant on an interval of Lebesgue measure one), the simple-function bounds and Monotone Convergence Theorem along 1[0,L)exp⁑(βˆ’x)↑1[0,∞)exp⁑(βˆ’x)\mathbf{1}_{[0,L)}\exp(-x)\uparrow\mathbf{1}_{[0,\infty)}\exp(-x) give ∫[0,∞)exp⁑(βˆ’x) dΞ»β‰€βˆ‘kβ‰₯0exp⁑(βˆ’1)k≀2\int_{[0,\infty)}\exp(-x)\,d\lambda\le\sum_{k\ge0}\exp(-1)^{k}\le2 (geometric series; exp⁑(1)β‰₯2\exp(1)\ge2 from the series, so exp⁑(βˆ’1)≀1/2\exp(-1)\le1/2), and the negative half-line contributes the same by the reflection instance of Preliminary (P2) of the proof of Moments and Stability of the Standard Normal Distribution. Hence, splitting R\mathbb{R} into [βˆ’2,2][-2,2] and its complement and using g≀1g\le1,

c=∫g dλ ≀ λ([βˆ’2,2])+∫exp⁑(βˆ’βˆ£x∣) dλ ≀ 4+4Β < ∞.c=\int g\,d\lambda\ \le\ \lambda([-2,2])+\int\exp(-|x|)\,d\lambda\ \le\ 4+4\ <\ \infty .

Also c>0c>0: gg is nonincreasing in ∣x∣|x|, so gβ‰₯g(1)=exp⁑(βˆ’1/2)>0g\ge g(1)=\exp(-1/2)>0 on [βˆ’1,1][-1,1], whence cβ‰₯exp⁑(βˆ’1/2) λ([βˆ’1,1])=2exp⁑(βˆ’1/2)>0c\ge\exp(-1/2)\,\lambda([-1,1])=2\exp(-1/2)>0 by monotonicity. Finally N=Ξ½/cN=\nu/c is a measure (additivity is preserved under multiplication by the constant 1/c1/c) with N(R)=c/c=1N(\mathbb{R})=c/c=1, a probability measure.

Claim 3. For s<ts<t, additivity gives Ξ½((βˆ’βˆž,t])βˆ’Ξ½((βˆ’βˆž,s])=Ξ½((s,t])=∫1(s,t] g dΞ»β‰€βˆ«1(s,t] dΞ»=tβˆ’s\nu((-\infty,t])-\nu((-\infty,s])=\nu((s,t])=\int\mathbf{1}_{(s,t]}\,g\,d\lambda\le\int\mathbf{1}_{(s,t]}\,d\lambda=t-s, using g≀1g\le1, monotonicity, and interval lengths. So t↦ν((βˆ’βˆž,t])t\mapsto\nu((-\infty,t]) satisfies ∣ν((βˆ’βˆž,t])βˆ’Ξ½((βˆ’βˆž,s])βˆ£β‰€βˆ£tβˆ’s∣|\nu((-\infty,t])-\nu((-\infty,s])|\le|t-s| and is continuous at every point (take Ξ΄=Ξ΅\delta=\varepsilon); dividing by cc, Ξ¦\Phi is continuous on R\mathbb{R}.

Claim 4. Write g2(x,y)=g(x)g(y)g_2(x,y)=g(x)g(y), jointly Borel: coordinate projections are jointly Borel and compositions with Borel maps remain jointly Borel (claim 4 of Joint Distribution, Expectations, and Block Independence for Independent Random Variables), and products of jointly Borel functions are jointly Borel since uv=((u+v)2βˆ’u2βˆ’v2)/2uv=((u+v)^{2}-u^{2}-v^{2})/2.

(i) c2c^{2} as a plane integral. Ξ»\lambda is Οƒ\sigma-finite (R=⋃L[βˆ’L,L]\mathbb{R}=\bigcup_L[-L,L]), so Tonelli and Fubini Theorems applies to g2β‰₯0g_2\ge0: for fixed yy, ∫g(x)g(y) dΞ»(x)=g(y) c\int g(x)g(y)\,d\lambda(x)=g(y)\,c (nonnegative scalars pull out, claim 1 of Linearity and Monotonicity of the Lebesgue Integral), hence

∫R2g2 d(Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)=∫Rc g(y) dΞ»(y)=c2.\int_{\mathbb{R}^2}g_2\,d(\lambda\otimes\lambda)=\int_{\mathbb{R}}c\,g(y)\,d\lambda(y)=c^{2}.

(ii) Layer-cake identity. Let (W,A,m)(W,\mathcal{A},m) be a Οƒ\sigma-finite measure space and h:Wβ†’[0,∞]h:W\to[0,\infty] an A\mathcal{A}-measurable function. Then

∫Wh dm=∫(0,∞)m({h>s}) dΞ»(s).\int_Wh\,dm=\int_{(0,\infty)}m(\{h>s\})\,d\lambda(s).

Indeed, by density of the rationals the set Eh={(w,s):0<s<h(w)}E_h=\{(w,s):0<s<h(w)\} satisfies Eh=⋃q∈Q,q>0({h>q}Γ—(0,q))E_h=\bigcup_{q\in\mathbb{Q},q>0}\bigl(\{h>q\}\times(0,q)\bigr), a countable union of measurable rectangles, so Eh∈AβŠ—B(R)E_h\in\mathcal{A}\otimes\mathcal{B}(\mathbb{R}) (Product Sigma-Algebra). Applying Tonelli and Fubini Theorems to 1Eh\mathbf{1}_{E_h} over mβŠ—Ξ»m\otimes\lambda: the ww-indexed sections are (Eh)w=(0,h(w))(E_h)_w=(0,h(w)) with Ξ»((0,h(w)))=h(w)\lambda((0,h(w)))=h(w) (interval lengths, including the value ∞\infty for h(w)=∞h(w)=\infty, since Ξ»((0,∞))=∞\lambda((0,\infty))=\infty by continuity from below), while the ss-indexed sections are {h>s}\{h>s\} for s>0s>0 and βˆ…\emptyset otherwise; the two iterated integrals give the two sides.

(iii) Dilations of the plane. For r>0r>0 and E∈B(R)βŠ—B(R)E\in\mathcal{B}(\mathbb{R})\otimes\mathcal{B}(\mathbb{R}), write rE={(rx,ry):(x,y)∈E}rE=\{(rx,ry):(x,y)\in E\}. The map Sr(x,y)=(x/r,y/r)S_r(x,y)=(x/r,y/r) satisfies Srβˆ’1(AΓ—B)=(rA)Γ—(rB)S_r^{-1}(A\times B)=(rA)\times(rB), with rArA Borel (it is the preimage of AA under the continuous map x↦x/rx\mapsto x/r), so SrS_r is measurable and rE=Srβˆ’1(E)rE=S_r^{-1}(E) is again in the product Οƒ\sigma-algebra. The set function E↦(Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)(rE)E\mapsto(\lambda\otimes\lambda)(rE) is a measure (preimages preserve disjoint unions) assigning to a rectangle the value Ξ»(rA)Ξ»(rB)=r2Ξ»(A)Ξ»(B)\lambda(rA)\lambda(rB)=r^{2}\lambda(A)\lambda(B), by the scaling instance of Preliminary (P2) of the proof of Moments and Stability of the Standard Normal Distribution (interval covers scale by rr in the Lebesgue outer measure). The set function E↦r2(Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)(E)E\mapsto r^{2}(\lambda\otimes\lambda)(E) is a measure with the same rectangle values, namely those of the product of the Οƒ\sigma-finite measure rΞ»r\lambda with itself; by the uniqueness clause of Existence and Uniqueness of the Product Measure both equal (rΞ»)βŠ—(rΞ»)(r\lambda)\otimes(r\lambda), so

(Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)(rE)=r2 (Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)(E).(\lambda\otimes\lambda)(rE)=r^{2}\,(\lambda\otimes\lambda)(E).

(iv) Disks. Let D∘={(x,y):x2+y2<1}D^{\circ}=\{(x,y):x^{2}+y^{2}<1\}, which is in the product Οƒ\sigma-algebra since (x,y)↦x2+y2(x,y)\mapsto x^{2}+y^{2} is jointly Borel; similarly DD (use ≀\le). For 0<s<10<s<1, sDβŠ†Dβˆ˜βŠ†DsD\subseteq D^{\circ}\subseteq D, so by monotonicity and (iii), s2π≀(Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)(D∘)≀πs^{2}\pi\le(\lambda\otimes\lambda)(D^{\circ})\le\pi; letting sβ†’1s\to1 gives (Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)(D∘)=Ο€(\lambda\otimes\lambda)(D^{\circ})=\pi. Hence for R>0R>0, (Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)(R D∘)=Ο€R2(\lambda\otimes\lambda)(R\,D^{\circ})=\pi R^{2}.

(v) Conclusion. For 0<s<10<s<1: g2(x,y)>sβ€…β€ŠβŸΊβ€…β€Šexp⁑(βˆ’(x2+y2)/2)>sβ€…β€ŠβŸΊβ€…β€Šβˆ’(x2+y2)/2>ln⁑sβ€…β€ŠβŸΊβ€…β€Šx2+y2<2ln⁑(1/s)g_2(x,y)>s\iff\exp(-(x^{2}+y^{2})/2)>s\iff-(x^{2}+y^{2})/2>\ln s\iff x^{2}+y^{2}<2\ln(1/s), using the inverse relation between exp⁑\exp and ln⁑\ln and βˆ’ln⁑s=ln⁑(1/s)-\ln s=\ln(1/s); thus {g2>s}=Rs D∘\{g_2>s\}=R_s\,D^{\circ} with Rs=2ln⁑(1/s)R_s=\sqrt{2\ln(1/s)} (positive square root), of measure Ο€Rs2=2Ο€ln⁑(1/s)\pi R_s^{2}=2\pi\ln(1/s) by (iv). For sβ‰₯1s\ge1, {g2>s}=βˆ…\{g_2>s\}=\emptyset since g2≀1g_2\le1. By (i) and (ii) applied on (R2,Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)(\mathbb{R}^2,\lambda\otimes\lambda) (Οƒ\sigma-finite by Existence and Uniqueness of the Product Measure),

c2=∫(0,∞)(Ξ»βŠ—Ξ»)({g2>s}) dΞ»(s)=2Ο€βˆ«(0,1)ln⁑(1/s) dΞ»(s).c^{2}=\int_{(0,\infty)}(\lambda\otimes\lambda)(\{g_2>s\})\,d\lambda(s)=2\pi\int_{(0,1)}\ln(1/s)\,d\lambda(s).

Finally ∫(0,1)ln⁑(1/s) dΞ»(s)=1\int_{(0,1)}\ln(1/s)\,d\lambda(s)=1: by (ii) applied on (R,Ξ»)(\mathbb{R},\lambda) to h(s)=ln⁑(1/s)1(0,1)(s)h(s)=\ln(1/s)\mathbf{1}_{(0,1)}(s) (measurable: for u>0u>0, {h>u}={s∈(0,1):1/s>exp⁑(u)}=(0,exp⁑(βˆ’u))\{h>u\}=\{s\in(0,1):1/s>\exp(u)\}=(0,\exp(-u)), an interval; for u≀0u\le 0, {h>u}∈B(R)\{h>u\}\in\mathcal{B}(\mathbb{R}) similarly),

∫(0,1)ln⁑(1/s) dΞ»(s)=∫(0,∞)Ξ»((0,exp⁑(βˆ’u))) dΞ»(u)=∫(0,∞)exp⁑(βˆ’u) dΞ»(u),\int_{(0,1)}\ln(1/s)\,d\lambda(s)=\int_{(0,\infty)}\lambda\bigl((0,\exp(-u))\bigr)\,d\lambda(u)=\int_{(0,\infty)}\exp(-u)\,d\lambda(u),

and the map uβ†¦βˆ’exp⁑(βˆ’u)u\mapsto-\exp(-u) is an antiderivative of u↦exp⁑(βˆ’u)u\mapsto\exp(-u) on every [0,L][0,L] (one-dimensional chain rule with exp⁑′=exp⁑\exp'=\exp), so by Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, Part II in One Dimension and Agreement of the Riemann and Lebesgue Integrals for Continuous Functions on a Closed Interval, ∫1[0,L]exp⁑(βˆ’u) dΞ»=1βˆ’exp⁑(βˆ’L)\int\mathbf{1}_{[0,L]}\exp(-u)\,d\lambda=1-\exp(-L); by Monotone Convergence Theorem and exp⁑(βˆ’L)≀1/Lβ†’0\exp(-L)\le1/L\to0 (from exp⁑(L)β‰₯L\exp(L)\ge L), the integral equals 11. Hence c2=2Ο€c^{2}=2\pi. β– \blacksquare

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