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.
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
v+S=\{v+s\inV|s\inS\}
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.
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:
\mu(E)=λ1(\{x\inR|(x,0)\inE\subseteqR2\}).
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.