Amarts: A class of asymptotic martingales a. Discrete parameter

A sequence (X_n) of random variables adapted to an ascending (asc.) sequence $\text{F}$_n of σ-algebras is an amart iff EX_τ converges as τ runs over the set T of bounded stopping times. An analogous definition is given for a descending (desc.) sequence $\text{F}$_n. A systematic treatment of amarts is given. Some results are: Martingales and quasimartingales are amarts. Supremum and infimum of two amarts are amarts (in the asc. case assuming L₁-boundedness). A desc. amart and an asc. L₁-bounded amart converge a.e. (Theorem 2.3; only the desc. case is new). In the desc. case, an adapted sequence such that (EX_τ)_τ∈T is bounded is uniformly integrable (Theorem 2.9). If X_n is an amart such that sup_nE(X_n ? X_n?1)² < ∞, then $\text{X}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{n}$ converges a.e. (Theorem 3.3). An asc. amart can be written uniquely as Y_n + Z_n where Y_n is a martingale, and Z_n → 0 in L¹. Then Z_n → 0 a.e. and Z_τ is uniformly integrable (Theorem 3.2). If X_n is an asc. amart, τ_k a sequence of bounded stopping times, k ≤ τ_k, and E(sup_k |X_τk ? X_k?1|) < ∞, then there exists a set G such that X_n → a.e. on G and lim inf X_n = ?∞, lim sup X_n = +∞ on G^c (Theorem 2.7). Let E be a Banach space with the Radon-Nikodym property and separable dual. In the definition of an E-valued amart, Pettis integral is used. A desc. amart converges a.e. on the set {lim sup 6X_n6 < ∞}. An asc. or desc. amart converges a.e. weakly if sup_TE6X_τ6 < ∞ (Theorem 5.2; only the desc. case is new).