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$\newcommand{\d}{\mathrm{d}}$I came up with this myself, but my proof will appear fairly brief, so I suspect it is not fully rigorous - although I do not see any mistakes, hence the question.

First I would like to show that:

$$\tag{1}\int_{\Omega}(g\circ f)(x)\,\d\mu(x)=\int_{f(\Omega)}g(x)\,\d(\mu\circ f^{-1})(x)$$

Where $\Omega,f(\Omega),(g\circ f)(\Omega)$ are measurable spaces, with $\mu$ the measure on $\Omega$ and $g,f$ measurable functions w.r.t the relevant sigma algebras. I think this is called "push-forward", but I have not seen a proof of it. My attempt:

Assuming $g$ and $f$ measurable, both integrals in the LHS and RHS make sense, where $f^{-1}$ is understood as preimage rather than a functional inverse, as $\mu\circ f^{-1}$ is a measure as $f^{-1}(A)$ is measurable in $\Omega$ if $A$ is measurable in $f(\Omega)$, and $f^{-1}(A\cup B)=f^{-1}(A)\cup f^{-1}(B)$ so the additivity requirements on a measure are satisfied, etc.

Use the definition of Lebesgue integral by simple functions: if $\phi\in S^+({g^+})$ defined on $(\mu\circ f^{-1})$-measurable sets $A_k$ then: $$\begin{align}\int_{f(\Omega)}g^+\,\d(\mu\circ f^{-1})&\ge\int_{f(\Omega)}\phi\,\d(\mu\circ f^{-1})\\&=\sum_{k}c_k\cdot(\mu\circ f^{-1})(A_k)\\&=\sum_kc_k\cdot\mu(E_k)\\&\le\int_{\Omega}(g\circ f)^+\,\d\mu\end{align}$$Where $E_k=f^{-1}(A_k)$. We find that a simple function in $f(\Omega)$ is a lower bound to $g^+$ iff and only if it is a lower bound to $(g\circ f)^+$ in $\Omega$, and it has the same integral in both spaces. Since the two spaces $S^+(g^+,\mu\circ f^{-1})=S^+((g\circ f)^+,\mu)$ are equal in integration, the limit-from-below definition of Lebesgue integral finds that: $$\int_{f(\Omega)}g^+\,\d(\mu\circ f^{-1})=\int_{\Omega}(g\circ f)^+\,\d\mu$$From which it follows that the integrals in $(1)$ are indeed the same.

Note - that was very, very brief. The equality of the two integrals felt obvious to me, but perhaps a true proof is more difficult than this.

I'll now move on to substitution:

Let $\Omega,f(\Omega),(g\circ f)(\Omega)$ all be measurable spaces, and suppose that $f(\Omega)$ forms a $\sigma$-finite measure space with the measure $\mu$, where $g,f$ are measurable functions. Now suppose that $f$ is bijective, with functional inverse $\psi$, and that $\psi:f(\Omega)\to\Omega$ is measurable. It follows from the measurability of $f$ that $\Omega$ is $\sigma$-finite w.r.t the measure $\mu\circ f$, but suppose also that $\Omega$ forms a sigma-finite measure space with the measure $\nu$. Then: $$\int_{f(\Omega)}g(x)\,\d\mu=\int_{f(\Omega)}(g\circ f)(\psi(x))\,\d\mu=\int_{\Omega}(g\circ f)(x)\,\d(\mu\circ \psi^{-1})=\int_{\Omega}(g\circ f)(x)\,\d(\mu\circ f)$$Where $(1)$ was used. By the $\sigma$-finiteness, we can take the Radon-Nikodym derivative of $(\mu\circ f)$ w.r.t $\nu$, and find: $$\tag{2}\int_{f(\Omega)}g(x)\,\d\mu=\int_{\Omega}(g\circ f)(x)\cdot\frac{\d(\mu\circ f)}{\d\nu}\,\d\nu$$

Let $\Omega\subset\Bbb R^n,f(\Omega)\subset\Bbb R^n$, $\mu=\mu_n$ the Lebesgue measure on $\Bbb R^n$, and $\nu=\mu_n$ also. Suppose $g$ is a measurable function, and suppose $f$ is $C^1$ in $\Bbb R^n$ and $\det J_f\neq 0$ everywhere in $\Omega$. Then the inverse function theorem gives that $\psi$ exists as a $C^1$ map everywhere in $f(\Omega)$, and is therefore measurable. As the reals are sigma finite w.r.t these measures, we can employ $(2)$, so must find the measurable function $\varphi$ such that: $$\mu_m(f(A))=\int_A\varphi(x)\,\d\mu_n(x)$$For all Lebesgue measurable $A$ in $\Bbb R^n$. Assume $A$ to not be a null set, which is fine since if it were a null set both LHS and RHS would be zero regardless of $\varphi$; indeed, take $A$ w.l.o.g (as $\varphi$ is guaranteed to be unique up to a.e. equivalence) to be a ball $B(r)$ centred about any point $x$ in $\Omega$. Then the Lebesgue differentiation theorem gives that, a.e.: $$\lim_{r\to0^+}\frac{(\mu_n\circ f)(B_r(x))}{\mu_n(B_r(x))}=\varphi(x)$$Let $\epsilon\gt0$ be fixed. As $f$ is $C^1$, we can write $f(x+h)-f(x)=J_f(x)\cdot h+o(\epsilon)$ when $\|h\|$ is small, say $0\lt\|h\|\lt\delta$. Suppose $r\lt\delta$; then, by translational invariance of Lebesgue's measure and subadditivity: $$\begin{align}\mu_n(f(B_r(x)))&=\mu_n\{f(x+h):h\in\Bbb R^n,\,\|h\|\lt r\}\\&=\mu_n\{f(x+h)-f(x):h\in\Bbb R^n,\,\|h\|\lt r\}\\&\le\mu_n\{J_f(x)\cdot h:h\in\Bbb R^n,\,\|h\|\lt r\}+\mu_n(B_{r+|o(\epsilon)|}(x)\setminus B_r(x))\end{align}$$Lebesgue's measure has the nice property that it scales by $|\det T|$ for any $T$ a linear map, so this becomes: $$\begin{align}0&\le(\mu_n\circ f)(B_r(x))\\&\le|\det J_f(x)|\mu_n(B_r(x))+\mu_n(B_{r+|o(\epsilon)|}(x)\setminus B_r(x))\\&=|\det J_f(x)|\mu_n(B_r(x))+o(\epsilon^n)\end{align}$$In division by $\mu_n(B_r(x))$, the limit becomes: $$\varphi(x)=\lim_{r\to0^+}|\det J_f(x)|+\frac{o(\epsilon^n)}{\mu_n(B_r(x))}=|\det J_f(x)|$$Therefore $|\det J_f(x)|$ is the desired R-N derivative, and using $2$ we finally have: $$\int_{f(\Omega)}g(x)\,\d\mu_n(x)=\int_{\Omega}(g\circ f)(x)|\det J_f(x)|\,\d\mu_n(x)$$

Is this a complete proof? I'm worried it's too simple...

FShrike
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    The change of variables theorem is stated incorrectly. Whenever you have direct images $f(\Omega)$ of sets, you should already be suspicious, because they are in general not measurable subsets of the target (unless you're dealing with surjective functions where it is guaranteed). To write the theorem without excessive assumptions: suppose $f:\Omega_1\to\Omega_2$ is measurable, and $g:\Omega_2\to[0,\infty]$ measurable, then for any measurable $B\subset\Omega_2$, we have $\int_{f^{-1}(B)}g\circ f,d\mu=\int_Bg,d(f_*\mu)$. – peek-a-boo Jan 01 '22 at 14:06
  • Is it necessary that $g$’s image is in the reals? @peek-a-boo – FShrike Jan 01 '22 at 14:08
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    I only stated it for $g:[0,\infty]$ because it is easy to state. You can then (by looking at positive and negative and real and imaginary parts) extend this to complex-valued $g\in L^1(f_*\mu)$, or even finite-dimensional vector-space valued, and with a little more work to Banach-valued mappings as well. Also, I wrote an answer related to this Change of variable formula for a generic measure applied to classical change of variable formula. – peek-a-boo Jan 01 '22 at 14:09
  • Also, your arguments regarding $\sigma$-finiteness isn't clear. Also, $\sigma$-finiteness alone isn't enough to apply the Radon-Nikodym theorem; you need absolute-continuity (which I don't see anywhere in your post). But apart from such technical errors, yes, the proof idea is correct (in my post I fleshed out several of the details). – peek-a-boo Jan 01 '22 at 14:15
  • @peek-a-boo This is true, I did not show absolute continuity, I guess I assumed it without realising. I also have your answer there bookmarked from a while ago! I tried to do this for myself before referencing a full proof; now that my attempt is done and satisfactory, I’ll give your post a look. What your post doesn’t cover however is the push forward change of variables formula - is my “proof” of that sufficient? – FShrike Jan 01 '22 at 14:25
  • well, I mean I saw that your statement for the push-forward theorem was slightly off hence I didn't continue reading the proof (and there's too much unexplained notation). What I find weird though is the use of inequalities in that proof. Anyway, the proof of that is simple: assume $g$ is a characteristic function of a measurable set first, then by linearity it holds for simple functions, hence by monotone convergence for all measurable $g:\Omega_2\to[0,\infty]$, and finally as mentioned above, for integrable $g$ (real/complex/Banach-valued). – peek-a-boo Jan 01 '22 at 14:30

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