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Let $E\subset\mathbb{R}$ be a measurable set of Lebesgue measure $m(E) = 1$. Then why to any $t\in [0, 1]$, one can find a measurable subset $E_t\subset E$ with $m(E_t) = t$?

  • https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/712666/how-can-i-find-a-subset-of-a-set-with-half-the-size-of-the-original – parsiad Feb 18 '19 at 05:21

1 Answers1

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Consider the function $f:\mathbb R\to[0,1]$ given by $$ f(t)=m(E\cap(-\infty,t]). $$ This function is clearly monotone. And it is continuous: if $s>t$, then $$ f(s)-f(t)=m(E\cap(-\infty,s])-m(E\cap(-\infty,t])=m(E\cap(t,s])\leq m((t,s])=s-t. $$ As $\lim_{t\to-\infty} f(t)=0$ and $\lim_{t\to\infty} f(t)=1$, the Intermediate Value theorem guarantees that all values between $0$ and $1$ are achieved.

Martin Argerami
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