Countable union of Jordan sets is not always Jordan measurable

In summary, it is possible for both countable union and countable intersection of Jordan measurable sets to not be Jordan measurable, even when bounded. A potential example for countable intersection is shifting the unit interval by rational numbers of the form 1/2^n. While the outer measure would be zero, the inner measure would be 1.
  • #1
cragar
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Homework Statement



Show that the countable union or countable intersection of Jordan measurable sets need not be Jordan measurable, even when bounded.

The Attempt at a Solution


For countable intersection, I think the rationals from 0 to 1 will work, each rational have jordan measure zero.
But The jordan outer measure would be 1, because you would need to include the whole interval to contain all the rationals. For the countable intersection that seems more difficult. I am trying to think of a way to construct the vitali set using that. Well maybe for the intersection we take the unit interval [0,1] and shift it by that rationals of the form [itex] \frac{1}{2^n} [/itex]
 
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  • #2
to get sets {[0,1]-\frac{1}{2^n}}. Then the outer measure of the countable intersection would be zero, while the inner measure would be 1.
 

1. What is a countable union of Jordan sets?

A countable union of Jordan sets is a collection of Jordan sets that can be combined together to form a larger set. A Jordan set is a subset of Euclidean space that has a well-defined "boundary" and can be divided into smaller subsets with a finite number of common boundary points.

2. Why is a countable union of Jordan sets not always Jordan measurable?

A countable union of Jordan sets is not always Jordan measurable because the boundary points of the individual sets may not line up perfectly, resulting in gaps or overlaps in the overall boundary. This makes it impossible to define a consistent and well-defined boundary for the entire set, which is necessary for a set to be Jordan measurable.

3. Can a countable union of Jordan sets ever be Jordan measurable?

Yes, a countable union of Jordan sets can be Jordan measurable if the sets are carefully constructed so that their boundaries line up perfectly, without any gaps or overlaps. This is often difficult to achieve in practice, but it is possible in certain cases.

4. What are some practical implications of a countable union of Jordan sets not being Jordan measurable?

One practical implication is that it can be challenging to accurately measure the area or volume of a complex shape that is composed of a countable union of Jordan sets. This can make it difficult to solve certain mathematical and engineering problems that involve these types of sets.

5. Are there any alternative ways to measure non-Jordan measurable sets?

Yes, there are alternative measures such as Lebesgue measure that can be used to measure non-Jordan measurable sets. Lebesgue measure is more flexible and can handle a wider range of shapes and sets, making it a useful tool in many areas of mathematics and science.

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