On the transportation cost norm on finite metric graphs
Georges Skandalis, Alain Valette
TL;DR
This work analyzes the transportation cost norm $\|f\|_{TC}$ on finite metric graphs by linking transport plans to edge potentials and spanning trees. It proves that optimal plans can be chosen supported in $V_+\times V_-$ and on edges, and, in particular, on some spanning tree, enabling precise formulae for trees and cycles and reductions to the bridgeless portion of a graph. The approach provides short, direct proofs of the tree and cycle formulas and yields practical algorithmic insights for trees, including efficient computation and minimal-transport decompositions. Collectively, these results unify the Arens-Eells/Lipschitz-free perspective with graph structure, offering both theoretical clarity and computational tools for TC on graphs.
Abstract
For a finite metric graph $X=(V,E,\ell)$, where $V$ is endowed with the shortest path metric, we consider the transportation cost problem associated with the distance $d$ on $V$. Namely, for $f$ a function with total sum 0 on $V$, write $f=\sum_{a,b\in V}P(a,b)(δ_a-δ_b)$ where the transportation plan $P$ satisfies $P(a,b)\geq 0$ for $(a,b)\in V\times V$. The cost of $P$ is $W(P):=\sum_{a,b\in V}P(a,b)d(a,b)$ and the transportation norm of $f$ is $\|f\|_{TC}=\min_P W(P)$ where $P$ runs over all transportation plans for $f$. In this semi-survey paper, we give short proofs for the following statements: 1)There always exists an optimal transportation plan supported in $V_+\times V_-$ where $V_+=\{x\in V: f(x)>0\}$ and $V_-=\{x\in V: f(x)<0\}$. If $X$ is a metric tree, we may moreover assume that this plan involves at most $|Supp(f)|-1$ transports. 2) There always exists an optimal transportation plan supported in the set of edges of $X$. 3) Better, there always exists an optimal transportation plan supported in some spanning tree of $X$. We use this to reprove known formulae for the transportation norm when $X$ is either a tree or a cycle.