Proof check - if a set is a $\sigma$-algebra or not.

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From Rudin Real and Complex Analysis Theorem 1.12.

Suppose $M$ is a $\sigma$-algebra in $X$, and $Y$ is a topological space. let $f$ map $X$ into $Y$.

If $\Omega$ is the collection of all sets $E \subset Y$ such that $f^{-1}(E) \in M$, then $\Omega$ is a $\sigma$-algebra in $Y$.

Proof: follows from the relations $$f^{-1}(Y) = X$$

$$f^{-1}(Y-A) = X - f^{-1}(A)$$

$$f^{-1}(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup \ ... ) = f^{-1}(A_1) \cup f^{-1}(A_2) \cup \ ...$$

I tried to fill in the details.

For $\Omega$ to be a $\sigma$-algebra it needs to contain $Y$ and $\emptyset$.

$\Omega$ contains $Y$ because $ f^{-1}(Y) = X$ and $X \in M$.

$\Omega$ contains $\emptyset$ because $ f^{-1}(\emptyset) = \emptyset$ and $\emptyset \in M$.

Moreover $\Omega$ needs to be closed under complements and under countable unions.

Let $A$ be any set $\in$ Y. Then these two statements hold

$$f^{-1}(Y-A) = X - f^{-1}(A)$$ $$f^{-1}(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup \ ... ) = f^{-1}(A_1) \cup f^{-1}(A_2) \cup \ ...$$

So we see that all the sets that form $\Omega$ are of the tipe $Y -(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup \ ... )$ . Where $A_1, A_2 ...$ are all the sets whose preimage is in $M$.

$\Omega$ is then closed under countable unions because taking any union $Y -(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup \ ... ) \cup Y -(A_{n} \cup A_{k} \cup \ ... )$ reduces to $Y -(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup A_n \cup A_k \cup \ ... )$ that is still in $\Omega$.

Now for $\Omega$ closed under complement.

Take any set of $\Omega$, they are of the form $Y-A$, the complement is

$$(Y-A)^c = (A^c \cap Y)^c = (A \cup \emptyset) = A$$

where the second equality is demorgans law.

And $A \in \Omega$ because it can be written as $Y-(Y-A)$ and this is the form the sets of $\Omega$ are in.