Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / iii / Paper 348 / 1

For a cost $c:X\times Y\to [0,+\infty ]$ that is a Borel measurable function, a transport map is a measurable $T:X\to Y$ whose pushforward measure satisfiesThe Monge optimal transport problem moves every source point to one destination:The Kantorovich optimal transport problem permits mass to split. Its admissible transport plans are the probability measures on $X\times Y$ with prescribed marginal distributions:Thus a transport plan is a coupling of probability distributions. The set $\Pi (\mu ,\nu )$ is never empty: it contains the product measure $\mu \otimes \nu$. Signed costs can also be used when their integrals are well defined, for example with an integrable lower bound of the form $a(x)+b(y)$.

On the Polish space $\mathbb{R}$, take the Dirac measuresEvery measurable map satisfies $T_{\#}{\delta }_0={\delta }_{T(0)}$, which cannot equal $\nu$. A transport map cannot split an atom of a measure, whereas the transport plan $\frac{1}{2}{\delta }_{(0,-1)}+\frac{1}{2}{\delta }_{(0,1)}$ can.

Given any admissible transport map $T$, form its graph transport planFor Borel sets $A\subseteq X$ and $B\subseteq Y$, the definition of a pushforward measure givesHence ${\pi }_T\in \Pi (\mu ,\nu )$. Integration against a pushforward measure also givesThe Kantorovich optimal transport problem therefore has at least all the competitors of the Monge optimal transport problem, with exactly the same costs. ConsequentlyIf there is no admissible transport map, the left side is $+\infty$ by the convention $\inf \varnothing =+\infty$, so the conclusion still holds. No existence of an optimizer is needed.

The intended monotone rearrangement isHere $G^{-1}$ is the quantile function of $\nu$, agreeing with the ordinary inverse when $G$ is continuous and strictly increasing. With an atomless measure $\mu$, its cumulative distribution function $F$ is continuous, and the probability integral transform makes $F(X)$ uniform on $(0,1)$ for $X\sim \mu$. Thus $G^{-1}(F(X))\sim \nu$. The one-dimensional monotone rearrangement theorem says this transport map minimizes the cost $d(x-y)$ for convex continuous $d$, whenever the cost integrals are well defined. Values at exceptional endpoints may be chosen arbitrarily.

The printed assumptions omit an essential source condition. Invertibility of $G$ alone does not ensure an admissible transport map. For example, $\mu ={\delta }_0$ and $\nu$ a standard normal distribution satisfy the stated condition on $G$, but $T_{\#}{\delta }_0$ is always a Dirac measure. There is no solution to the Monge optimal transport problem in this example. The boxed answer therefore requires the additional assumption that $\mu$ is an atomless measure, or an equivalent condition making the displayed map admissible. For arbitrary sources the always admissible monotone transport plan is $(F^{-1},G^{-1}{)}_{\#}\mathcal{U}(0,1)$, which need not be induced by a map.

Interpret the invertibility assumption on $G$ as continuity and strict increase on the relevant range, so that $\nu$ is an atomless measure. Suppose a non-decreasing transport map $T$ with $T_{\#}\mu =\nu$ exists. Then $\mu$ is also an atomless measure: if $\mu (\{x\})>0$, the pushforward measure would give $\nu (\{T(x)\})\ge \mu (\{x\})>0$. Thus $F$ is continuous.

At any point $x$ where the non-decreasing representative is defined, the definition of a monotone function givesUsing the pushforward measure identity and continuity of the two cumulative distribution functions, we obtainConsequentlyThe monotone rearrangement in part (c) is optimal for the convex difference cost, so $T$ has the same cost and solves the Monge optimal transport problem. The meaningful uniqueness is up to a $\mu$-null set; arbitrary values away from the source do not affect transport or cost. Existence of the non-decreasing transport map supplies the source condition missing in part (c).