TITLE: Dominating function for derivative of moment generating function
QUESTION [7 upvotes]: Let $X$ be a random variable and the moment generating function
$$\psi_X:(-\varepsilon,\varepsilon)\rightarrow \mathbb{R}_+,\quad \psi_X(t):=E[e^{tX}]$$
be defined, such that $\psi_X(t)<\infty$ for all $t\in(-\varepsilon,\varepsilon)$. According my textbook we have
$$\psi^{(n)}_X(0)=\frac{d^n}{dt^n}E[e^{tX}]\bigg|_{t=0}=E[\frac{d^n}{dt^n}e^{tX}\bigg|_{t=0}]=E[X^n],$$
where differentiation and integration can be interchanged by using dominated convergence.
However what is the dominating function here? It is clear that for all $t\in(-\varepsilon,\varepsilon)$, we have
$$\frac{d^n}{dt^n}e^{tX}=X^n\ e^{tX}$$
So I need to find a integrable dominating function $h:\Omega\rightarrow\mathbb{R}_+$, such that
$$\forall t\in(-\varepsilon,\varepsilon): |X^n\ e^{tX}|\le h$$
Does someone has a hint on this one?
Thanks a lot in advance!

REPLY [2 votes]: The short answer to your question is that you can always find a
$\delta >0$ s.t. for all $t<\epsilon - \delta$, $|x^n e^{t|x|}| \leq |x|^n e^{(\epsilon-\delta)|x|}$, and $|x|^n e^{-\delta |x|}$ is bounded for all $n$ and $\delta$, while $e^{\epsilon |x|}$ is integrable by assumption.
First, consider the case $n=1$.Then,
$$\psi'(t) = \lim_{h\rightarrow 0} \frac{\psi(t+h)-\psi(t)}{h} = \lim_{h\rightarrow 0} E[\frac{e^{(t+h)X}-e^{tX}}{h}].$$
Now, choose $\delta>0$ s.t. $0<\delta<\epsilon$. Assume $t$ and $h$ are small enough s.t. $t\pm h \in (-\epsilon + \delta, \epsilon - \delta)$. By the Mean Value Theorem, for any x, there exists a $t' \in [t,t+h]$ s.t.
$$ \frac{e^{(t+h)x}-e^{tx}}{h} = x e^{t'x}. $$
Since $t' \leq \epsilon - \delta$,
\begin{equation}
|xe^{t'x}| \leq |x|e^{|t'x|} \leq |x|e^{(\epsilon -\delta)|x|} \leq C e^{\epsilon|x|},
\end{equation}
where $C=\delta^{-1}e^{-1}$, the maximum of $f(x)=|x|e^{-\delta|x|}$. Next, observe that $e^{\epsilon|x|}\leq e^{\epsilon x}+e^{-\epsilon x}$, which is integrable by assumption. This allows to use dominated convergence to deduct the claim.
The case $n>1$ follows by induction and using a similar bound, i.e.,
$$|x^{n}e^{t'x}| \leq |x^{n}| e^{(\epsilon-\delta)|x|} \leq Ce^{\epsilon|x|},$$ where $C = \max_x f(x) = max_x\{|x|^n e^{-\delta|x|}\} \leq (n/\delta)^ne^{-n}$, which, again, is integrable by the same logic as in the base case $n=1$.