---- > [!definition] Definition. ([[Dirac measure]]) > Let $(X, \Sigma)$ be a [[σ-algebra|measurable space]]. Let $x \in X$. The **Dirac measure** corresponding to $x$ $A$ [[characteristic function|is]] $\delta_{x}(E)=\chi_{E}(x)=\begin{cases} 1 & x \in E \\ 0 & x \not \in E. \end{cases}$ ^definition > [!justification] > $\delta_{x}$ is clearly a measure: certainly $\delta_{x}(\emptyset)=0$, and $\begin{align} \delta_{x}(\bigsqcup_{k=1}^{\infty} E_{k})=\begin{cases} 1 & x \text{ is in one of the }E_{k} \\ 0 & \text{else} \end{cases} \end{align}$ while $\sum_{k=1}^{\infty}\delta_{x}(E_{k})=\begin{cases} 1 & x \text{ is in one of the }E_{k} \\ 0 & \text{else} \end{cases}$ where we have used that the $E_{k}$ are disjoint, so $x$ can be in at most one. ^justification > [!basicproperties] > - $\delta_{x}$ is a [[probability|probability measure]] > - If $(\Omega, \mathcal{F}, \mathbb{P})$ is a [[probability|probability space]] and $X:\Omega \to E$ is a [[random variable]] with $\mathbb{P}(X=x)=1$ for some $x$, [[probability distribution|then]] $\mathbb{P}_{X}=\delta_{x}$.[^1] > - (Sifting) $\int f \, d \delta_{x}=f(x)$. (exercise) ^properties [^1]: Indeed, given $B$ one has $\mathbb{P}_{X}(A)=\mathbb{P}(X \in A)$$\mathbb{P}_{X}(B)=\mathbb{P}(X \in B)=\begin{cases} 1 & x \in B \\ 0 & x \not \in B \end{cases}=\delta_{x}(B).$Sorry for the notation clash regarding $X$ and regarding $E$. ---- #### ---- #### References > [!backlink] > ```dataview > TABLE rows.file.link as "Further Reading" > FROM [[]] > FLATTEN file.tags as Tag > WHERE Tag = "#definition" OR Tag = "#theorem" OR Tag = "#MOC" OR Tag = "#proposition" OR Tag = "#axiom" > GROUP BY Tag > ``` > [!frontlink] > ```dataview > TABLE rows.file.link as "Further Reading" > FROM outgoing([[]]) > FLATTEN file.tags as Tag > WHERE Tag = "#definition" OR Tag = "#theorem" OR Tag = "#MOC" OR Tag = "#proposition" OR Tag = "#axiom" > GROUP BY Tag > ```