arXiv subjects

Matthias Liero

Publications and source records attributed to Matthias Liero.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Talagrand-type transport inequalities for path spaces over Carnot groups

We consider Talagrand-type transportation inequalities for the law of Brownian motion on Carnot groups. An important example is the lift of standard Brownian motion to the Brownian rough path. We present a direct proof on enhanced path space, which also yields equality when restricting to adapted couplings in the transport problem. Moreover, we prove a Talagrand inequality for the heat kernel measure on Carnot groups and deduce the inequality for the law of Brownian motion on Carnot groups via a bottom-up argument. Our study of this enhanced Wiener measure contributes to a longstanding programme to extend key properties of Wiener measure to the non-commutative setting of the enhanced Wiener measure, which is of central importance in Lyons' rough path theory. With a non-commutative sub-Riemannian state space, we observe phenomena that differ from the Euclidean case. In particular, while a top-down projection argument recovers Talagrand's inequality on Euclidean space from the corresponding inequality on the path space, such a projection argument breaks down in the Carnot group setting. We further study a Riemannian approximation of the Heisenberg group, in which case the failure of the top-down projection can be partially overcome. Finally, we show that the cost function used in the Talagrand inequality is a natural choice, in that it arises as a limit of discretised costs in the sense of $\Gamma$-convergence.

math.PR↗

arXiv2025

Dimension reduction for a coupled electro-elastic saddle-point problem at finite strains

We study the finite deformation of a thin, elastically heterogeneous sheet subject to electrostatic coupling. The interaction between mechanics and electrostatics is formulated as a saddle-point problem involving the deformation and the electrostatic potential. Starting from a three-dimensional electro-elastic model with prestrain in the elastic energy, we rigorously derive a reduced plate model in the bending regime. To perform the dimension reduction, that is, to derive the energy of a thin object by taking a suitable limit as its thickness tends to zero, we apply $\Gamma$-convergence-type methods to the underlying saddle-point problem. In the case of bivariate functionals, this convergence is understood in an adapted epi/hypo-convergence sense. In this concept, we demonstrate the convergence of the rescaled electro-elastic problems to an effective two-dimensional bending model coupled to electric effects. We verify that cluster points of saddle points are saddle points for the limit.

math.AP↗

arXiv2025

Evolution of Gaussians in the Hellinger-Kantorovich-Boltzmann gradient flow

This study leverages the basic insight that the gradient-flow equation associated with the relative Boltzmann entropy, in relation to a Gaussian reference measure within the Hellinger-Kantorovich (HK) geometry, preserves the class of Gaussian measures. This invariance serves as the foundation for constructing a reduced gradient structure on the parameter space characterizing Gaussian densities. We derive explicit ordinary differential equations that govern the evolution of mean, covariance, and mass under the HK-Boltzmann gradient flow. The reduced structure retains the additive form of the HK metric, facilitating a comprehensive analysis of the dynamics involved. We explore the geodesic convexity of the reduced system, revealing that global convexity is confined to the pure transport scenario, while a variant of sublevel semi-convexity is observed in the general case. Furthermore, we demonstrate exponential convergence to equilibrium through Polyak-Lojasiewicz-type inequalities, applicable both globally and on sublevel sets. By monitoring the evolution of covariance eigenvalues, we refine the decay rates associated with convergence. Additionally, we extend our analysis to non-Gaussian targets exhibiting strong log-lambda-concavity, corroborating our theoretical results with numerical experiments that encompass a Gaussian-target gradient flow and a Bayesian logistic regression application.

math.AP↗

arXiv2024

Uniqueness and regularity of weak solutions of a drift-diffusion system for perovskite solar cells

We establish a novel uniqueness result for an instationary drift-diffusion model for perovskite solar cells. This model for vacancy-assisted charge transport uses Fermi--Dirac statistics for electrons and holes and Blakemore statistics for the mobile ionic vacancies in the perovskite. Existence of weak solutions and their boundedness was proven in a previous work. For the uniqueness proof, we establish improved integrability of the gradients of the charge-carrier densities. Based on estimates obtained in the previous paper, we consider suitably regularized continuity equations with partly frozen arguments and apply the regularity results for scalar quasilinear elliptic equations by Meinlschmidt & Rehberg, Evolution Equations and Control Theory, 2016, 5(1):147-184.

math.AP↗

arXiv2023

Fine properties of geodesics and geodesic $λ$-convexity for the Hellinger-Kantorovich distance

We study the fine regularity properties of optimal potentials for the dual formulation of the Hellinger--Kantorovich problem (HK), providing sufficient conditions for the solvability of the primal Monge formulation. We also establish new regularity properties for the solution of the Hamilton--Jacobi equation arising in the dual dynamic formulation of HK, which are sufficiently strong to construct a characteristic transport-dilation flow driving the geodesic interpolation between two arbitrary positive measures. These results are applied to study relevant geometric properties of HK geodesics and to derive the convex behaviour of their Lebesgue density along the transport flow. Finally, exact conditions for functionals defined on the space of measures are derived that guarantee the geodesic $λ$-convexity with respect to the Hellinger--Kantorovich distance. Examples of geodesically convex functionals are provided.

math.AP↗

arXiv2023

Finite-strain poro-visco-elasticity with degenerate mobility

A quasistatic nonlinear model for poro-visco-elastic solids at finite strains is considered in the Lagrangian frame using the concept of second-order nonsimple materials. The elastic stresses satisfy static frame-indifference, while the viscous stresses satisfy dynamic frame-indifference. The mechanical equation is coupled to a diffusion equation for a solvent or fluid content. The latter is pulled-back to the reference configuration. To treat the nonlinear dependence of the mobility tensor on the deformation gradient, the result by Healey & Krömer is used to show that the determinant of the deformation gradient is bounded away from zero. Moreover, the focus is on the physically relevant case of degenerate mobilities. The existence of weak solutions is shown using a staggered time-incremental scheme and suitable energy-dissipation inequalities.

math.AP↗

arXiv2016

Optimal Entropy-Transport problems and a new Hellinger-Kantorovich distance between positive measures

We develop a full theory for the new class of Optimal Entropy-Transport problems between nonnegative and finite Radon measures in general topological spaces. They arise quite naturally by relaxing the marginal constraints typical of Optimal Transport problems: given a couple of finite measures (with possibly different total mass), one looks for minimizers of the sum of a linear transport functional and two convex entropy functionals, that quantify in some way the deviation of the marginals of the transport plan from the assigned measures. As a powerful application of this theory, we study the particular case of Logarithmic Entropy-Transport problems and introduce the new Hellinger-Kantorovich distance between measures in metric spaces. The striking connection between these two seemingly far topics allows for a deep analysis of the geometric properties of the new geodesic distance, which lies somehow between the well-known Hellinger-Kakutani and Kantorovich-Wasserstein distances.

math.OC↗

arXiv2015

Optimal transport in competition with reaction: the Hellinger-Kantorovich distance and geodesic curves

We discuss a new notion of distance on the space of finite and nonnegative measures which can be seen as a generalization of the well-known Kantorovich-Wasserstein distance. The new distance is based on a dynamical formulation given by an Onsager operator that is the sum of a Wasserstein diffusion part and an additional reaction part describing the generation and absorption of mass. We present a full characterization of the distance and its properties. In fact the distance can be equivalently described by an optimal transport problem on the cone space over the underlying metric space. We give a construction of geodesic curves and discuss their properties.

math.MG↗

arXiv2015

On microscopic origins of generalized gradient structures

Classical gradient systems have a linear relation between rates and driving forces. In generalized gradient systems we allow for arbitrary relations derived from general non-quadratic dissipation potentials. This paper describes two natural origins for these structures. A first microscopic origin of generalized gradient structures is given by the theory of large-deviation principles. While Markovian diffusion processes lead to classical gradient structures, Poissonian jump processes give rise to cosh-type dissipation potentials. A second origin arises via a new form of convergence, that we call EDP-convergence. Even when starting with classical gradient systems, where the dissipation potential is a quadratic functional of the rate, we may obtain a generalized gradient system in the evolutionary $Γ$-limit. As examples we treat (i) the limit of a diffusion equation having a thin layer of low diffusivity, which leads to a membrane model, and (ii) the limit of diffusion over a high barrier, which gives a reaction-diffusion system.

math.AP↗