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Let me make my question clear. I want to define a measure $\mu$ on a space $X$. But instead of telling you what value I assign for some subset of $X$ (measurable sets that form a $\sigma$-algebra), I tell you that for each $f$ continuous, what $\int_X f(x)d\mu (x)$ is.

Then, is this measure uniquely determined? I know if I tell you how to integrate all measurable functions, then this measure is of course uniquely determined. Because integrate characteristic functions will give you measure of that respective set. But is it also true if I only define integration with continuous functions?

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    This is the Da$n$iell I$n$tegral approach.2012-06-08

2 Answers 2

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In general this is false. Here are some examples to think about:

  1. If the $\sigma$-algebra on $X$ is not the Borel $\sigma$-algebra, there is generally no hope. (What if $X$ has the trivial topology but the $\sigma$-algebra is not trivial?) Hence you should restrict your attention to Borel measures.

  2. Take $X = \{a,b\}$ with the topology $\tau = \{\emptyset, \{a\}, \{a,b\}\}$. The Borel $\sigma$-algebra is $2^X$ but the only continuous functions $f : X \to \mathbb{R}$ are constant, so $\mu_1 = \delta_a$ and $\mu_2 = 2 \delta_a - \delta_b$ agree on all continuous functions. Thus you probably want a Hausdorff space.

  3. Take $X = \mathbb{R}$. Let $\mu$ be counting measure and $\nu = 2\mu$. So you probably want to look at $\sigma$-finite measures.

  4. As I mentioned in the above comment, on $X = \omega_1 + 1$ (which is compact Hausdorff), one can find two distinct finite measures which agree on all continuous functions.

However, here is a positive result.

Proposition. Let $\mu, \nu$ be finite Borel measures on a metric space $(X,d)$. If $\int f d\mu = \int f d\nu$ for all bounded continuous $f$, then $\mu = \nu$.

Proof. Let $E$ be a closed set, and let $f_n(x) = \max\{1 - n d(x,E), 0\}$. You can check that $f_n$ is continuous and $f_n \downarrow 1_E$ as $n \to \infty$. So by dominated convergence, $\mu(E) = \nu(E)$, and $\mu, \nu$ agree on all closed sets.

Now we apply Dynkin's $\pi$-$\lambda$ theorem. Let $\mathcal{P}$ be the collection of all closed sets; $\mathcal{P}$ is closed under finite intersections, and $\sigma(\mathcal{P})$ is the Borel $\sigma$-algebra $\mathcal{B}$. Let $\mathcal{L} = \{ A \in \mathcal{B} \colon \mu(A) = \nu(A)\}$. Using countable additivity, it is easy to check that $\mathcal{L}$ is a $\lambda$-system, and we just showed $\mathcal{P} \subset \mathcal{L}$. So by Dynkin's theorem, $\mathcal{B} = \sigma(\mathcal{P}) \subset \mathcal{L}$, which is to say that $\mu,\nu$ agree on all Borel sets, and hence are the same measure.

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    @user1: Yes, then it would be obvious. But that isn't so relevant to the current question because indicator functions are not continuous.2017-10-12
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Check out the Riesz Representation Theorem, for example in $\textit{Real and Complex Analysis}$ by Rudin page 40. At least in the form presented in Rudin, if $X$ is a locally compact Hausdorff space and $\Lambda$ is a positive linear functional on $C_c(X)$, the continuous functions with compact support, then there exists a unique sigma algebra and a unique measure on the algebra such that $\int_X f \ d\mu = \Lambda(f)$ for all $f \in C_c(X)$.

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    The part of the proof which shows uniqueness of $\mu$ is nice and fits the OP's question very well: it shows that if $\int f\,d\mu=\int f\,d\nu$ for all $f\in C_{c}(X)$ then $\mu=\nu$. It's done basicly with Urysohn's lemma, and you also need regularity of $\mu,\nu$ or Dynkin's theorem in the proof, which Rudin does not specify explicitly. He just says it is enough to deal closed sets which, however, isn't a trivial remark.2012-06-09