Functional inequalities along Wasserstein geodesics

Source abstract

We study functional inequalities along Wasserstein geodesics. If $μ$ 0 and $μ$ 1 are respectively $κ$ 0 -and $κ$ 1 -strongly log-concave probability measures on R n , we prove that their quadratic Wasserstein geodesic satisfies for all probability measures $ν$ on R n . The coefficient is sharp. By linearization, this recovers the Poincar{é} estimate of Han and Zhu [15]. On the real line, we prove convexity of the square roots of the optimal T 1 and T 2 constants along monotone interpolation between arbitrary probability measures. The argument applies to more general transport entropy inequalities. We also establish convexity of the rescaled L p Poincar{é} constants for every finite p $\ge$ 1, including the square root of the Poincar{é} constant and the inverse Cheeger constant. Finally, we construct a planar Wasserstein geodesic whose endpoints satisfy T 2 and all finite-p L p -Poincar{é} inequalities, whereas every interior interpolant fails these inequalities.