Gamma-convergence of Cheeger energies with respect to increasing distances (Q2154439)

Recall that for a metric measure space \((X,d,\mathfrak{m})\) and an exponent \(p\in (1,\infty)\), the Cheeger energy \(p\)-functional \(\mathcal{E}^d_{\mathrm{Ch},p}\) defined on the space \(L^p(\mathfrak{m})\) allows us to define the Sobolev space \(W^{1,p}(X,d,\mathfrak{m})\). It was proven in [\textit{N. Gigli} et al., Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 111, No. 5, 1071--1129 (2015; Zbl 1398.53044)] that for a sequence \(\{(X_n,d_n,\mathfrak{m})\}_{n\in \mathbb{N}}\) of \(\mathsf{CD}(K,\infty)\) spaces converging in the pointed measured Gromov-Hausdorff sense to a metric measure space \((X,d,\mathfrak{m})\), the Cheeger energy functionals \(\mathcal{E}_{\mathrm{Ch},p}^{d_n}\), \(\mathcal{E}_{\mathrm{Ch},p}^{d}\) satisfy the following so called Mosco-convergence: \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] (Weak \(\Gamma\)-\(\lim\) \(\inf\)) For a sequence of functions \(\{f_n\}_{n\in \mathbb{N}}\subset L^2(\mathfrak{m})\) which \(L^2\)-weakly converges to some \(f\in L^2(\mathfrak{m})\), we have \[ \liminf_{n\to\infty} \mathcal{E}^{d_n}_{\mathrm{Ch},2}(f_n) \geq\mathcal{E}^{d}_{\mathrm{Ch},2}(f). \] \item[(ii)] (Strong \(\Gamma\)-\(\lim\) \(\sup\)) For every \(f\in L^2(\mathfrak{m})\) there exists a sequence \(\{f_n\}_{n\in\mathbb{N}}\subset L^2(\mathfrak{m})\) which converges \(L^2\)-strongly to \(f\) such that \[ \lim_{n\to\infty} \mathcal{E}^{d_n}_{\mathrm{Ch},2}(f_n) = \mathcal{E}^d_{\mathrm{Ch},2}(f). \] \end{itemize} In the work under review, the authors prove that this statement holds more generally for any exponent \(p\in(1,\infty)\), sequences \(\{f_n\}\subset L^p(\mathfrak{m})\), the Cheeger functionals \(\mathcal{E}_{\mathrm{Ch},p}^{d_n}\), \(\mathcal{E}_{\mathrm{Ch},p}^{d}\), any sequence of metric measure spaces \(\{(X,d_n,\mathfrak{m})\}_{n\in \mathbb{N}}\), and a metric measure space \((X,d,\mathfrak{m})\) under the hypotheses that the metrics \(d_n\) converge to \(d\) from below (i.e., \(d_n \nearrow d\)), and \(d_n\) induces the same topology as \(d\) on \(X\). The authors prove as a corollary of this statement, that if each space of the sequence \(\{(X,d_n,\mathfrak{m})\}_{n\in \mathbb{N}}\) is infinitesimally Hilbertian (i.e., the Sobolev spaces \(W^{1,2}(X,d_n,\mathfrak{m})\) are separable Hilbert spaces), and there exists a metric measure space \((X,d,\mathfrak{m})\) such that \(d_n\nearrow d\) and for each \(n\in \mathbb{N}\) the topology induced by \(d_n\) equals the topology induced by \(d\), then \((X,d,\mathfrak{m})\) is infinitesimally Hilbertian.