In mathematics, a measure on a real vector space is said to be transverse to a given set if it assigns measure zero to every translate of that set, while assigning finite and positive (i.e. non-zero) measure to some compact set.

Definition

Let V be a real vector space together with a metric space structure with respect to which it is complete. A Borel measure μ is said to be transverse to a Borel-measurable subset S of V if

• there exists a compact subset K of V with 0 < μ(K) < +∞; and
• μ(v + S) = 0 for all v ∈ V, where

${\displaystyle v+S=\{v+s\in V|s\in S\))$

is the translate of S by v.

The first requirement ensures that, for example, the trivial measure is not considered to be a transverse measure.

Example

As an example, take V to be the Euclidean plane R² with its usual Euclidean norm/metric structure. Define a measure μ on R² by setting μ(E) to be the one-dimensional Lebesgue measure of the intersection of E with the first coordinate axis:

${\displaystyle \mu (E)=\lambda ^{1}{\big (}\{x\in \mathbf {R} |(x,0)\in E\subseteq \mathbf {R} ^{2}\}{\big )}.}$

An example of a compact set K with positive and finite μ-measure is K = B₁(0), the closed unit ball about the origin, which has μ(K) = 2. Now take the set S to be the second coordinate axis. Any translate (v₁, v₂) + S of S will meet the first coordinate axis in precisely one point, (v₁, 0). Since a single point has Lebesgue measure zero, μ((v₁, v₂) + S) = 0, and so μ is transverse to S.