Math 220.

1 Code:39343 Show that the collection of Borel sets is the smallest -algebra that contains intervals of the form [a, b), where a < b. The interval of the form [a, b) = {x | a x < b} is neither open nor closed set. The set {x | a x < b} is bounded by points a and b where a = x and b x. Let {x | a x < b} = {a} U { x | a < x < b}. The set {a} is a Borel set since set {a} is a singleton and {x | a < x < b} is also a Borel set since it is an open interval. From the definition of algebra of sets, given an algebra A, {a} U {x | a < x < b} is in a collection A of subsets of X whenever {a} and {x | a < x < b} are. Since {x | a x < b} = {a} U {x | a < x < b}, then [a, b) = {x | a x < b} is a Borel set.