Key sub-lemma: for any measurable T, P₀(T) - P₁(T) ≤ P₀(R) - P₁(R) where R = {dP₁/dμ < dP₀/dμ} is the positive set of the signed measure P₀ - P₁. The proof splits T and R along their intersection and uses that (p₀-p₁) is nonneg on R and nonpos on Rᶜ.
The TV supremum is achieved at the set R = {p₁ < p₀}. TV(P₀, P₁) = P₀(R) - P₁(R) where R = {dP₁/dμ < dP₀/dμ}.
Definition-Proposition 5.4 (characterization (ii)): TV(P₀, P₁) = sup_{A measurable} |∫_A (p₀ - p₁) dμ| where p₀, p₁ are Radon-Nikodym derivatives w.r.t. a dominating measure μ.
Definition-Proposition 5.4 (characterization (iii)): TV(P₀, P₁) = (1/2) ∫ |p₀ - p₁| dμ (L¹ characterization).
Definition-Proposition 5.4 (characterization (iv)): TV(P₀, P₁) = 1 - ∫ min(p₀, p₁) dμ.
Definition-Proposition 5.4 (characterization (v), inequality direction): For any test ψ, P₀(ψ=1) + P₁(ψ=0) ≥ 1 - TV(P₀, P₁).
Definition-Proposition 5.4 (characterization (v), equality direction): The LR test achieves P₀(ψ*=1) + P₁(ψ*=0) = 1 - TV(P₀, P₁).
Definition-Proposition 5.4 (combined statement): All five characterizations of the total variation distance are equivalent:
(i) TV(P₀, P₁) = sup_{A measurable} |P₀(A) - P₁(A)| (definition) (ii) TV(P₀, P₁) = sup_{A measurable} |∫_A (p₀ - p₁) dμ| (iii) TV(P₀, P₁) = (1/2) ∫ |p₀ - p₁| dμ (iv) TV(P₀, P₁) = 1 - ∫ min(p₀, p₁) dμ (v) TV(P₀, P₁) = 1 - inf_ψ [P₀(ψ=1) + P₁(ψ=0)]
The first characterization (i) is the definition of Chapter5.TVNP.tvDist.
Characterization (v) is expressed via the LR test achieving the infimum.