The main theorem is the large deviation principle for the doubly indexed se
quence of random measures
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Here theta is a probability measure on a Polish space K, {D-r, k, k = 1,...
,2(r)} is a dyadic partition of K (hence the use of 2(r) summands) satisfyi
ng theta{D-r,D-k} = 1/2(r) and L-q,(1), L-q,(2),...,L-q, (2r) is an indepen
dent, identically distributed sequence of random probability measures on a
Polish space Y such that {L-q,L-k, q is an element of N} satisfies the larg
e deviation principle with a convex rate function. A number of related asym
ptotic results are also derived.
The random measures W-r,W-q have important applications to the statistical
mechanics of turbulence. In a companion paper, the large deviation principl
e presented here is used to give a rigorous derivation of maximum entropy p
rinciples arising in the well-known Miller-Robert theory of two-dimensional
turbulence as well as in a modification of that theory recently proposed b
y Turkington.