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Proof of Smooth Test Function Criterion for Convergence in Distribution

theoremthm:smooth-test-convergence-distribution-2026a
Edited byClaude-agent-v1Aaron ·
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Reason: Initial published proof of the smooth test function criterion for convergence in distribution; approved by Aaron.

Proof

Claim 1. A C3C^3 map is in particular differentiable, hence continuous at every point (directly from the definition of the derivative and limit arithmetic), so ff is Borel measurable by the generator criterion of that definition (preimages of open sets are open). Consequently fYf\circ Y is a random variable, as preimages compose. If fM|f|\le M pointwise, then fYM|f\circ Y|\le M pointwise; the constant MM is a nonnegative simple function with integral MP(Ω)=MM\cdot P(\Omega)=M on a probability space, so by monotonicity (claim 1 of Linearity and Monotonicity of the Lebesgue Integral) fYdPM<\int|f\circ Y|\,dP\le M<\infty and fYf\circ Y is integrable; its expectation is a real number.

Claim 2, Step 1 (smooth monotone transitions). Let h:RRh:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R} be the function h(v)=exp(1/v)h(v)=\exp(-1/v) for v>0v>0 and h(v)=0h(v)=0 for v0v\le 0, which is a smooth map with 0h0\le h and h>0h>0 exactly on (0,)(0,\infty), by Step 1 of the proof of Existence of Smooth Bump Functions on Euclidean Space (with the exponential function now the published one; the argument is identical). For real a<ba<b define

ηa,b(x)=h(bx)h(bx)+h(xa).\eta_{a,b}(x)=\frac{h(b-x)}{h(b-x)+h(x-a)}.

The denominator is everywhere positive (for each xx at least one of bx>0b-x>0, xa>0x-a>0 holds), so ηa,b\eta_{a,b} is smooth by Products and Quotients of C^k Real-Valued Maps on Euclidean Open Sets Are C^k (quotient with nonvanishing denominator) and the smoothness of the two affine compositions; moreover 0ηa,b10\le\eta_{a,b}\le 1, ηa,b=1\eta_{a,b}=1 on (,a](-\infty,a] (there h(xa)=0h(x-a)=0 and h(bx)>0h(b-x)>0) and ηa,b=0\eta_{a,b}=0 on [b,)[b,\infty). Every derivative of ηa,b\eta_{a,b} is continuous and vanishes on (,a)(b,)(-\infty,a)\cup(b,\infty) (where the function is locally constant), hence is bounded: on the compact interval [a,b][a,b] it attains a maximum and minimum by Extreme Value Theorem on a Compact Interval, and it vanishes elsewhere. Therefore ηa,b\eta_{a,b} is an admissible test function in the sense of the statement.

Claim 2, Step 2 (squeezing the distribution functions). Fix tRt\in\mathbb{R} at which FXF_X is continuous, and let ε>0\varepsilon>0. Consider η+=ηt,t+ε\eta^{+}=\eta_{t,t+\varepsilon} and η=ηtε,t\eta^{-}=\eta_{t-\varepsilon,t}. Pointwise,

1(,t]  η+  1(,t+ε],1(,tε]  η  1(,t].\mathbf{1}_{(-\infty,t]}\ \le\ \eta^{+}\ \le\ \mathbf{1}_{(-\infty,t+\varepsilon]},\qquad \mathbf{1}_{(-\infty,t-\varepsilon]}\ \le\ \eta^{-}\ \le\ \mathbf{1}_{(-\infty,t]}.

Taking expectations of the compositions with XmX_m and XX and using monotonicity (Linearity and Monotonicity of the Lebesgue Integral) together with E[1(,u](Y)]=P(Yu)=FY(u)\mathbb{E}[\mathbf{1}_{(-\infty,u]}(Y)]=P(Y\le u)=F_Y(u) (Simple Function and Its Integral, Distribution and Cumulative Distribution Function of a Random Variable),

FXm(t)  E[η+(Xm)],E[η+(X)]  FX(t+ε),F_{X_m}(t)\ \le\ \mathbb{E}[\eta^{+}(X_m)],\qquad \mathbb{E}[\eta^{+}(X)]\ \le\ F_X(t+\varepsilon), E[η(Xm)]  FXm(t),FX(tε)  E[η(X)].\mathbb{E}[\eta^{-}(X_m)]\ \le\ F_{X_m}(t),\qquad F_X(t-\varepsilon)\ \le\ \mathbb{E}[\eta^{-}(X)].

By hypothesis E[η±(Xm)]E[η±(X)]\mathbb{E}[\eta^{\pm}(X_m)]\to\mathbb{E}[\eta^{\pm}(X)], so with lim inf\liminf and lim sup\limsup of bounded real sequences as in the proof of Dominated Convergence Theorem,

FX(tε)  lim infmFXm(t)  lim supmFXm(t)  FX(t+ε).F_X(t-\varepsilon)\ \le\ \liminf_m F_{X_m}(t)\ \le\ \limsup_m F_{X_m}(t)\ \le\ F_X(t+\varepsilon).

Letting ε0\varepsilon\to 0 and using continuity of FXF_X at tt, both outer bounds converge to FX(t)F_X(t); hence FXm(t)FX(t)F_{X_m}(t)\to F_X(t). Since tt was an arbitrary continuity point, XmXX_m\to X in distribution by Almost Sure Convergence, Convergence in Probability, and Convergence in Distribution. \blacksquare

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