arXiv subjects

Emanuele Caputo

Publications and source records attributed to Emanuele Caputo.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Planar lamplighter is not of negative type

The lamplighter group over the planar integer grid is proved to not be bi-Lipschitz equivalent to any metric space of negative type, so in particular it does not admit a bi-Lipschitz embedding into $L_1$. This shows the existence of finitely generated metabelian groups on which word metrics are never comparable up to constant factors to conditionally negative definite (CND) kernels, and that the property of admitting a word metric-comparable CND kernel is not preserved by wreath products.

math.MG↗

arXiv2026

Sobolev-to-Lipschitz property of geodesically complete spaces with curvature bounded from above

We prove that every length space with curvature bounded from above that is geodesically complete has the Sobolev-to-Lipschitz property with exponent infinity. That is, every Sobolev map in the $W^{1,\infty}$-space has a Lipschitz representative so that the Lipschitz constant coincides with the infinity energy of the map. The proof is geometric and relies on arbitrarily small perturbations of geodesics to a curve that has zero length on the singular set. The motivation is to develop the analytic theory of such spaces; in particular, our result implies that GCBA spaces satisfy the infinity Poincar\'e inequality and an essential assumption in the theory of Lipschitz-Volume rigidity.

math.DG↗

arXiv2026

Quantum thermodynamics and semidefinite programming: regularization and algorithms

We investigate variational problems in quantum thermodynamics at positive temperature, in which admissible states are constrained by prescribed outcomes of a finite set of measurements. We solve a problem raised by the recent work [Liu, Minervini, Patel, Wilde; arXiv:2505.04514 - Section C] and develop a general mathematical setup which allows a broad class of possible regularizations. Employing methods inspired by non-commutative optimal transport, we analyze the dual formulation of the problem, study the existence and characterization of maximizers, and investigate the qualitative behavior of the model in the zero-temperature limit. In the second part, we tailor this framework to quantum state tomography and quantum optimal transport. Finally, we address computational aspects, with particular attention to the convergence of algorithms in selected cases.

math-ph↗

arXiv2025

A characterization of snowflakes via rectifiability

We prove a generalization of Tyson-Wu's characterization of metric spaces biLipschitz equivalent to snowflakes to every metric space, by removing compactness, doubling and embeddability assumptions. We also characterize metric spaces that are biLipschitz equivalent to a snowflake in terms of the absence of non-trivial metric $1$-currents in every ultralimit, or equivalently in terms of purely $1$-unrectifiability of every ultralimit. Finally, we discuss some applications and examples.

math.MG↗

arXiv2025

Comparison estimates on nonsmooth spaces with integrable Ricci lower bounds via localization

We study comparison estimates on metric measure spaces admitting a synthetic variable Ricci curvature lower bound. We obtain geometric and functional inequalities assuming that the deficit of the lower bound from a given constant is sufficiently integrable. More precisely, we extend to the nonsmooth setting the Bishop-Gromov comparison, the Myers' diameter estimate and the Cheng's comparison principle for Dirichlet eigenvalues. Our analysis relies on the localization method and on one-dimensional comparison estimates for nonsmooth weighted intervals.

math.MG↗

arXiv2025

Structure of Metric $1$-currents: approximation by normal currents and representation results

We prove the $1$-dimensional flat chain conjecture in any complete and quasiconvex metric space, namely that metric $1$-currents can be approximated in mass by normal $1$-currents. The proof relies on a new Banach space isomorphism theorem, relating metric $1$-currents and their boundaries to the Arens-Eells space. As a by-product, any metric $1$-current in a complete and separable metric space can be represented as the integral superposition of oriented $1$-rectifiable sets, thus dropping a finite dimensionality condition from previous results of Schioppa [Schioppa Adv. Math. 2016, Schioppa J. Funct. Anal. 2016]. The connection between the flat chain conjecture and the representation result is provided by a structure theorem for metric $1$-currents in Banach spaces, showing that any such current can be realised as the restriction to a Borel set of a boundaryless normal $1$-current. This generalizes, to any Banach space, the $1$-dimensional case of a recent result of Alberti-Marchese in Euclidean spaces [Alberti-Marchese 2023]. The argument of Alberti-Marchese requires the strict polyhedral approximation theorem of Federer for normal $1$-currents, which we obtain in Banach spaces.

math.MG↗

arXiv2025

Closed BV-extension and $W^{1,1}$-extension sets

This paper studies the relations between extendability of different classes of Sobolev $W^{1,1}$ and $BV$ functions from closed sets in general metric measure spaces. Under the assumption that the metric measure space satisfies a weak $(1,1)$-Poincar\'e inequality and measure doubling, we prove further properties for the extension sets. In the case of the Euclidean plane, we show that compact finitely connected $BV$-extension sets are always also $W^{1,1}$-extension sets. This is shown via a local quasiconvexity result for the complement of the extension set.

math.MG↗

arXiv2025

Geometric characterizations of ${\sf PI}$ spaces: an overview of some modern techniques

We survey recent results on the study of metric measure spaces satisfying a Poincar\'e inequality. We overview recent characterizations in terms of objects of dimension 1, such as pencil of curves, modulus estimates and obstacle-avoidance principles. Then, we turn our attention to characterizations in terms of objects of codimension 1, such as relative isoperimetric inequalities and separating sets, the last one obtained in collaboration with N. Cavallucci in [arXiv:2401.02762]. We propose a strategy to provide examples using our characterization in the toy-model of the Euclidean case. We also discuss a more geometric relation between separating sets and obstacle-avoidance principles, obtained in [IMRN, Vol. 2025, Issue 1, Jan. 2025, rnae276]. Finally, we recall some open questions in the field.

math.MG↗

arXiv2024

Quantum optimal transport with convex regularization

The goal of this paper is to settle the study of non-commutative optimal transport problems with convex regularization, in their static and finite-dimensional formulations. We consider both the balanced and unbalanced problem and show in both cases a duality result, characterizations of minimizers (for the primal) and maximizers (for the dual). An important tool we define is a non-commutative version of the classical $(c,\psi)$-transforms associated with a general convex regularization, which we employ to prove the convergence of Sinkhorn iterations in the balanced case. Finally, we show the convergence of the unbalanced transport problems towards the balanced one, as well as the convergence of transforms, as the marginal penalization parameters go to $+\infty$.

math-ph↗

arXiv2024

Sobolev spaces via chains in metric measure spaces

We define the chain Sobolev space on a possibly non-complete metric measure space in terms of chain upper gradients. In this context, $\varepsilon$-chains are a finite collection of points with distance at most $\varepsilon$ between consecutive points. They play the role of discrete versions of curves. Chain upper gradients are defined accordingly and the chain Sobolev space is defined by letting the size parameter $\varepsilon$ going to zero. In the complete setting, we prove that the chain Sobolev space is equal to the classical notions of Sobolev spaces in terms of relaxation of upper gradients or of the local Lipschitz constant of Lipschitz functions. The proof of this fact is inspired by a recent technique developed by Eriksson-Bique. In the possible non-complete setting, we prove that the chain Sobolev space is equal to the one defined via relaxation of the local Lipschitz constant of Lipschitz functions, while in general they are different from the one defined via upper gradients along curves. We apply the theory developed in the paper to prove equivalent formulations of the Poincar\'{e} inequality in terms of pointwise estimates involving $\varepsilon$-upper gradients, lower bounds on modulus of chains connecting points and size of separating sets measured with the Minkowski content in the non-complete setting. Along the way, we discuss the notion of weak $\varepsilon$-upper gradients and asymmetric notions of integral along chains.

math.MG↗

arXiv2024

A geometric approach to Poincaré inequality and Minkowski content of separating sets

The goal of this paper is to continue the study of the relation between the Poincaré inequality and the lower bounds of Minkowski content of separating sets, initiated in our previous work [Caputo, Cavallucci: Poincaré inequality and energy of separating sets, arXiv 2401.02762]. A new shorter proof is provided. An intermediate tool is the study of the lower bound of another geometric quantity, called separating ratio. The main novelty is the description of the relation between the infima of the separating ratio and the Minkowski content of separating sets. We prove a quantitative comparison between the two infima in the local quasigeodesic case and equality in the local geodesic one. No Poincaré assumption is needed to prove it. The main tool employed in the proof is a new function, called the position function, which allows in a certain sense to fibrate a set in boundaries of separating sets. We also extend the proof to measure graphs, where due to the combinatorial nature of the problem, the approach is more intuitive. In the appendix, we revise some classical characterizations of the p-Poincaré inequality, by proving along the way equivalence with a notion of p-pencil that extends naturally the definition for p = 1.

math.MG↗

arXiv2024

Poincaré inequality and energy of separating sets

We study geometric characterizations of the Poincaré inequality in doubling metric measure spaces in terms of properties of separating sets. Given a couple of points and a set separating them, such properties are formulated in terms of several possible notions of energy of the boundary, involving for instance the perimeter, codimension type Hausdorff measures, capacity, Minkowski content and approximate modulus of suitable families of curves. We prove the equivalence within each of these conditions and the $1$-Poincaré inequality.

math.MG↗

arXiv2023

On the integration of Banach modules and its applications to vector calculus on ${\sf RCD}$ spaces

A finite-dimensional ${\sf RCD}$ space can be foliated into sufficiently regular leaves, where a differential calculus can be performed. Two important examples are given by the measure-theoretic boundary of the superlevel set of a function of bounded variation and the needle decomposition associated to a Lipschitz function. The aim of this paper is to connect the vector calculus on the lower dimensional leaves with the one on the base space. In order to achieve this goal, we develop a general theory of integration of $L^0$-Banach $L^0$-modules of independent interest. Roughly speaking, we study how to `patch together' vector fields defined on the leaves that are measurable with respect to the foliation parameter.

math.FA↗

arXiv2023

Sobolev, BV and perimeter extensions in metric measure spaces

We study extensions of sets and functions in general metric measure spaces. We show that an open set has the strong BV extension property if and only if it has the strong extension property for sets of finite perimeter. We also prove several implications between the strong BV extension property and extendability of two different non-equivalent versions of Sobolev $W^{1,1}$-spaces and show via examples that the remaining implications fail.

math.MG↗

arXiv2022

First-order heat content asymptotics on ${\sf RCD}(K,N)$ spaces

In this paper, we prove first-order asymptotics on a bounded open set of the heat content when the ambient space is an ${\sf RCD}(K,N)$ space, under a regularity condition for the boundary that we call measured interior geodesic condition of size $ε$. We carefully study such a condition, relating it to the properties of the disintegration of the signed distance function from $\partial Ω$ studied by Cavalletti and Mondino.

math.MG↗

arXiv2021

Parallel transport on non-collapsed $\mathsf{RCD}(K,N)$ spaces

We provide a general theory for parallel transport on non-collapsed ${\sf RCD}$ spaces obtaining both existence and uniqueness results. Our theory covers the case of geodesics and, more generally, of curves obtained via the flow of sufficiently regular time dependent vector fields: the price that we pay for this generality is that we cannot study parallel transport along a single such curve, but only along almost all of these (in a sense related to the notions of Sobolev vector calculus and Regular Lagrangian Flow in the nonsmooth setting). The class of ${\sf ncRCD}$ spaces contains finite dimensional Alexandrov spaces with curvature bounded from below, thus our construction provides a way of speaking about parallel transport in this latter setting alternative to the one proposed by Petrunin (1998). The precise relation between the two approaches is yet to be understood.

math.DG↗