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Darboux Sums

The document defines Darboux sums and Riemann integrability. It provides properties of Darboux sums including monotonicity with respect to partitions and inequalities of lower and upper sums. The lower and upper integrals are defined and a function is Riemann integrable if the lower and upper integrals are equal. Criteria for a function to be Riemann integrable are given.

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42 views3 pages

Darboux Sums

The document defines Darboux sums and Riemann integrability. It provides properties of Darboux sums including monotonicity with respect to partitions and inequalities of lower and upper sums. The lower and upper integrals are defined and a function is Riemann integrable if the lower and upper integrals are equal. Criteria for a function to be Riemann integrable are given.

Uploaded by

luitsarmah1234
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Real Analysis

Grinshpan

Darboux sums and Riemann-integrability

Definition of Darboux sums.


Let f be a bounded function defined on a closed bounded interval [a, b].
A partition P of [a, b] is any finite selection of points a = x0 < x1 < . . . < xn−1 < xn = b.
P creates a subdivision of [a, b] into subintervals [xk−1 , xk ].
The norm of P is the maximum length of a subinterval, ∥P ∥ = max(xk − xk−1 ).
k

We say that P ′ is a refinement of P if P ⊂ P ′ .


Let mk and Mk be the infimum and the supremum of f over [xk−1 , xk ],
mk = inf f (x)
x∈[xk−1 , xk ]

Mk = sup f (x).
x∈[xk−1 , xk ]

Consider the lower and upper Darboux sums of f corresponding to a partition P ∶


n
L(f, P ) = ∑ mk (xk − xk−1 )
k=1
n
U (f, P ) = ∑ Mk (xk − xk−1 ).
k=1
Properties of Darboux sums.
● Lower and upper bounds
If m ≤ f ≤ M on [a, b], then m(b − a) ≤ L(f, P ) ≤ U (f, P ) ≤ M (b − a).
● Monotonicity with respect to the partition
If Q ⊃ P is a refinement of P, then L(f, P ) ≤ L(f, Q) and U (f, P ) ≥ U (f, Q).
● Inequality of lower and upper sums
For any two partitions P, P ′ , L(f, P ) ≤ U (f, P ′ ).

Lower and upper Darboux integrals.


The lower integral of f over [a, b] is the quantity L(f ) = supP L(f, P ).
The upper integral of f over [a, b] is the quantity U (f ) = inf P U (f, P ).
Note that L(f ) ≤ U (f ).
Riemann integrability.
One says that f is integrable in the sense of Riemann if L(f ) = U (f ).
b b
The common value is denoted by ∫ f (x)dx or just by ∫ f.
a a

Exercise. Consider the indicator function f (x) = 1{ 1 } (x) on [0, 1].


2
Determine L(f, P ), U (f, P ), L(f ), U (f ).
Exercise. For a finite set E = {a1 , . . . , am } ⊂ [0, 1], consider the indicator function
f (x) = 1E (x) on [0, 1]. Determine L(f, P ), U (f, P ), L(f ), U (f ).
Exercise. Consider the Dirichlet function, the indicator function of rational points
f (x) = 1Q (x) on [0, 1]. Determine L(f, P ), U (f, P ), L(f ), U (f ).
The preceding exercise shows that the Dirichlet function is not Riemann-integrable.
So a pointwise limit of Riemann-integrable functions is not necessarily Riemann integrable.
More properties of Darboux sums.
● Monotonicity with respect to the function
If f ≤ g on [a, b], then L(f, P ) ≤ L(g, P ) and U (f, P ) ≤ U (g, P ).
As a consequence, this property holds for the lower and upper integral.
● Positive homogeneity
For c > 0, L(cf, P ) = cL(f, P ) and U (cf, P ) = cU (f, P ). Note: L(−f, P ) = −U (f, P ).
● Uniform limits
If fn ⇉ f on [a, b], then L(fn , P ) → L(f, P ) and U (fn , P ) → U (f, P ).
Proof. Given ε > 0, choose an index N so that ∣fn − f ∣ < ε for n > N.
Then L(fn , P ) < L(f + ε, P ) = L(f, P ) + ε(b − a) for n > N.
Similarly, L(fn , P ) > L(f − ε, P ) = L(f, P ) − ε(b − a) for n > N.
So the sequence L(fn , P ) converges to L(f, P ) as n → ∞.
The case of the upper sum is treated analogously. ◻
● Superadditivity and subadditivity with respect to the function
We have L(f + g, P ) ≥ L(f, P ) + L(g, P ) and U (f + g, P ) ≤ U (f, P ) + U (g, P )
As a consequence, the lower integral is superadditive and the upper integral is subadditive.
The Riemann integral is therefore additive.
Criterion for Riemann integrability.
A function f is Riemann integrable on [a, b] if and only if for every ε > 0
there is a partition P of [a, b] such that U (f, P ) − L(f, P ) < ε.
Sequential criterion for Riemann integrability.
A function f is Riemann integrable on [a, b] if and only if there is a sequence
of partitions Pn of [a, b] such that limn→∞ L(f, P ) = limn→∞ U (f, P ).
The class of Riemann-integrable functions.
The class includes continuous functions, functions with finitely many jump discontinuities
(step functions, in particular), monotone functions. To give a full description of the class,
we would need a couple of new instruments.

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