Second order differentiation formula on \(\mathsf{RCD}^*(K,N)\) spaces (Q2031680)

\(\mathsf{RCD}^{*}(K,N)\) spaces, \(K\in \mathbb{R}\), \(N<\infty\), are metric measure spaces with a synthetic notion of Ricci curvature bounded from below by \(K\) and dimension bounded from above by \(N\). In [\textit{N. Gigli}, Nonsmooth differential geometry -- an approach tailored for spaces with Ricci curvature bounded from below. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2018; Zbl 1404.53056)] a second-order calculus on \(\mathsf{RCD}\) spaces has been developed, in particular defining the space \(H^{2,2}\) and a notion of Hessian for a function \(f\in H^{2,2}\). The present paper deals with a second-order differentiation formula for \(H^{2,2}\) functions along geodesics on \(\mathsf{RCD}^{*}(K,N)\) spaces. More precisely, in the main result of the article it is established that \[\frac{\mathrm{d}^2}{\mathrm{d}t^2}\int f\, \mathrm{d}\mu_t = \int \mathrm{Hess}(f)(\nabla \phi_t,\nabla \phi_t)\, \mathrm{d}\mu_t, \qquad \textrm{for every} \ \ t\in [0,1],\] where \(f\in H^{2,2}\), \(\mu_t\) is a 2-Wasserstein geodesic and \(\phi_t\) is a function such that \(-(s-t)\phi_t\) is a Kantorovich potential from \(\mu_t\) to \(\mu_s\), \(s,t\in [0,1]\). The strategy of the proof is based on the idea of approximating 2-Wasserstein geodesics with entropic interpolations, and requires the proof of nontrivial zeroth, first and second order estimates, most of them new even in a smooth setting.