If $X$ and $Y$ are independent then $f(X)$ and $g(Y)$ are also independent.

Solution 1:

You said measurable so I am going to assume you want a measure-theoretic answer, and that your definition of independence is $X$ and $Y$ are independent iff $\sigma(X)$ is independent of $\sigma(Y)$, i.e. that $P[X \in B_1, Y \in B_2] = P[X \in B_1]P[Y \in B_2]$ for all borel sets $B_1,B_2$. You must assume $f,g$ are borel functions (this is so that $f(X),g(Y)$ are measurable, so asking the question of independence makes sense). The $\sigma$-algebra generated by $f(X)$ is a sub-$\sigma$-algebra of the $\sigma$-algebra generated by $X$, and similarly for $g(Y)$ and $Y$. To see this note that for any borel set $B$ we have $(f\circ X)^{-1}(B) = X^{-1}(f^{-1}(B)) = X^{-1}(\text{some borel set}) \in \sigma(X)$. Since $\sigma(X) \perp \sigma(Y)$ it follows that $\sigma(f(X)) \perp \sigma(g(Y))$.