Condition implying that $E(X|\mathcal{C}_1)=E(X|\mathcal{C}_2)$ when $\mathcal{C}_1\subseteq\mathcal{C}_2$

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I have the following corollary in my notes but I don't see how it follows from law of total probability:

Corollary. Assume that $\mathcal{C}_1\subseteq\mathcal{C}_2\subseteq\mathcal{F}$ are sub $\sigma$-fields and $E(X)$ exists. If a version of $E(X|\mathcal{C}_2)$ is $\mathcal{C}_1/\mathcal{B}^1$-measurable then $E(X|\mathcal{C}_2)$ is also a version of $E(X|\mathcal{C}_1)$.

In my notes the law of total probability stands as follows:

Theorem. If $\mathcal{C}_1\subseteq\mathcal{C}_2\subseteq\mathcal{F}$ are sub $\sigma$-fields and $E(X)$ exists, then $E(X|\mathcal{C}_1)$ is version of $E(E(X|\mathcal{C}_2)|\mathcal{C}_1)$.

Any hint is appreciated.

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What is $E[X|\mathcal C_1]$?

It is any random variable $Z$ that satisfies

  1. $Z$ is $\mathcal C_1$-measurable.

  2. $$\int_{C_1} E[X|\mathcal C_1] d\mathbb P = \int_{C_1} Z d\mathbb P$$

$$\forall C_1 \in \mathcal C_1$$

Is $E[X|\mathcal C_2]$ one of those $Z$'s?

  1. $E[X|\mathcal C_2]$ is $\mathcal C_1$-measurable by assumption. (*)

2.

$$LHS = \int_{C_1} E[X|\mathcal C_1] d\mathbb P$$

$$ = \int_{\Omega} 1_{C_1} E[X|\mathcal C_1] d\mathbb P$$

$$ = \int_{\Omega} E[X1_{C_1}|\mathcal C_1] d\mathbb P$$

$$ = E[E[X1_{C_1}|\mathcal C_1]]$$

$$ = E[X1_{C_1}]$$

$$RHS = \int_{C_1} Z d\mathbb P$$

$$ = \int_{C_1} E[X|\mathcal C_2] d\mathbb P$$

$$ = \int_{\Omega} 1_{C_1} E[X|\mathcal C_2] d\mathbb P$$

$$ = E[1_{C_1}E[X|\mathcal C_2]]$$

$$ = E[E[X1_{C_1}|\mathcal C_2]]$$

$$ = E[X1_{C_1}]$$

I believe #2 does not make use of #1 unlike below


This is the formal way to go about this. I believe there's an intuitive way of thinking about it.


And of course there's the shortcut

$$E[X|\mathcal C_1] = E[E[X|\mathcal C_2]|\mathcal C_1]$$

$\because E[X|\mathcal C_2]$ is given to be $\mathcal C_1$-measurable $(*)$, we have

$$RHS = E[E[X|\mathcal C_2]|\mathcal C_1] \stackrel{(*)}{=} E[X|\mathcal C_2] E[1|\mathcal C_1] = E[X|\mathcal C_2] (1)$$


$(*)$ This is critical. There's no reason for $E[X|\mathcal C_2]$ to surely be $\mathcal C_1$-measurable otherwise because $\mathcal C_2$ is the bigger $\sigma-$field.