English

Absoluteness of the Riemann integral

Logic 2025-03-13 v1

Abstract

This article explores the concept of absoluteness in the context of mathematical analysis, focusing specifically on the Riemann integral on Rn\mathbb{R}^{n}. In mathematical logic, "absoluteness" refers to the invariance of the truth value of certain statements in different mathematical universes. Leveraging this idea, we investigate the conditions under which the Riemann integral on Rn\mathbb{R}^{n} remains absolute between transitive models of ZFC, the standard axiomatic system in which current mathematics is usually formalized. To this end, we develop a framework for integration on Boolean algebras with respect to finitely additive measures and show that the classical Riemann integral is a particular case of this generalized approach. Our main result establishes that the Riemann integral over rectangles in Rn\mathbb{R}^{n} is absolute in the following sense: if MNM \subseteq N are transitive models of ZFC, a,bRnMa, b \in \mathbb{R}^{n} \cap M, and f ⁣:[a,b]Rf \colon [a, b] \to \mathbb{R} is a bounded function in MM, then ff is Riemann integrable in MM if, and only if, in NN there exists some Riemann integrable function g ⁣:[a,b]Rg \colon [a, b] \to \mathbb{R} extending ff. In this case, the values of the integrals computed in each model are the same. Furthermore, the function gg is unique except for a measure zero set.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2503.08799,
  title  = {Absoluteness of the Riemann integral},
  author = {Carlos M. Parra-Londoño and Andrés F. Uribe-Zapata},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.08799},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

23 pages, 2 figures