Bergman metrics and geodesics in the space of Kähler metrics on toric varieties (Q638829)

Let \(\mathcal{H}\) be the space of Kähler metrics in a fixed Kähler class on a polarized Kähler manifold \(X\). This space is an infinite dimensional symmetric space, endowed with the \textit{T. Mabuchi} metric [Osaka J. Math. 24, 227--252 (1987; Zbl 0645.53038)]. The guiding idea of quantization in the polarized setting is that this space should be approximated by the finite dimensional symmetric spaces \(\mathcal{B}_k\) of Bergman metrics of height \(k\). The main result of this paper deals with geodesics in the space \(\mathcal{H}\). These geodesics satisfy a Monge-Ampère équation and have been extensively studied (see e.g. [\textit{X. Chen}; J. Differ. Geom. 56, No. 2, 189--234 (2000; Zbl 1041.58003)] or [\textit{X. Chen} and \textit{G. Tian}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 107, 1--107 (2008; Zbl 1182.32009)]). Towards quantization of geodesics, Phong and Sturm proved that geodesics in \(\mathcal{H}\) can be approximated in a weak \(C^0\) sense by geodesics in the spaces \(\mathcal{B}_k\) [\textit{D. H. Phong} and \textit{J. Sturm}, Invent. Math. 166, No. 1, 125--149 (2006; Zbl 1120.32026)], see also [\textit{B. Berndtsson}, J. Differ. Geom. 81, No. 3, 457--482 (2009; Zbl 1187.53076)] for another \(C^0\) approximation result. In this paper, the authors improve the former results in the toric situation. Given a polarized toric manifold \((X,L)\), they show that geodesics in \(\mathcal{H}\) are \(C^2\)-approximated by geodesics in \(\mathcal{B}_k\). This generalizes a result by \textit{J. Song} and \textit{S. Zelditch} on \(\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}_1\) [Ann. Inst. Fourier 57, No. 7, 2209--2237 (2007; Zbl 1144.53089)]. The proof relies on deep analytic results, such as the expansion of the Bergman (or Szego) kernel. In this toric setting, the analysis restricts to a polytope and the geodesic segments in \(\mathcal{B}_k\) can be made more explicit. A carefull study of the asymptotic behaviour of the coefficients arising in the expansion of these geodesics is done. In particular, the authors use a mix of a complex stationary phase method away from \(\partial P\) together with explicit Bargmann-Fock models near the boundary of the polytope.