Doob's estimate for coherent random variables and maximal operators on trees

Abstract

Let $\xi$ be an integrable random variable defined on $(\Omega, \mathcal{F}, \mathbb{P})$. Fix $k\in \mathbb{Z}_+$ and let $\{\mathcal{G}_{i}^{j}\}_{1\le i \le n, 1\le j \le k}$ be a reference family of sub-$\sigma$-fields of $\mathcal{F}$, such that $\{\mathcal{G}_{i}^{j}\}_{1\le i \le n}$ is a filtration for each $j\in \{1,2,\dots,k\}$. In this article we explain the underlying connection between the analysis of the maximal functions of the corresponding coherent vector and basic combinatorial properties of the uncentered Hardy-Littlewood maximal operator. Following a classical approach of Grafakos, Kinnunen and Montgomery-Smith, we establish an appropriate version of the celebrated Doob's maximal estimate.