Nested superposition principle for random measures and the geometry of the Wasserstein on Wasserstein space

Abstract

We study the geometric structure of the space of random measures $\mathcal{P}_p(\mathcal{P}_p(X))$, endowed with the Wasserstein on Wasserstein metric, where $(X, d)$ is a complete separable metric space. In this setting, we prove a metric superposition principle, in the spirit of the result by S. Lisini, that will allow us to recover important geometric features of the space. When $X$ is $\mathbb{R}^d$, we study the differential structure of $\mathcal{P}_p(\mathcal{P}_p(\mathbb{R}^d))$ in analogy with the simpler Wasserstein space $\mathcal{P}_p(\mathbb{R}^d)$. We show that continuity equations for random measures involving the abstract concept of derivation acting on cylinder functions can be more conveniently described by suitable non-local vector fields $b:[0,T]\times \mathbb{R}^d \times \mathcal{P}(\mathbb{R}^d) \to \mathbb{R}^d$. In this way, we can: 1) characterize the absolutely continuous curves on the Wasserstein on Wasserstein space; 2) define and characterize its tangent bundle; 3) prove a superposition principle for the solutions to the standard non-local continuity equation in terms of solutions of interacting particle systems.