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Logarithmic divergences from optimal transport and Rényi geometry

Ting-Kam Leonard Wong
Abstract

Divergences, also known as contrast functions, are distance-like quantities defined on manifolds of non-negative or probability measures. Using the duality in optimal transport, we introduce and study the one-parameter family of L(±α)L^{(\pm \alpha)}-divergences. It includes the Bregman divergence corresponding to the Euclidean quadratic cost, and the LL-divergence introduced by Pal and the author in connection with portfolio theory and a logarithmic cost function. They admit natural generalizations of exponential family that are closely related to the α\alpha-family and qq-exponential family. In particular, the L(±α)L^{(\pm \alpha)}-divergences of the corresponding potential functions are R\'{e}nyi divergences. Using this unified framework we prove that the induced geometries are dually projectively flat with constant sectional curvatures, and a generalized Pythagorean theorem holds true. Conversely, we show that if a statistical manifold is dually projectively flat with constant curvature ±α\pm \alpha with α>0\alpha > 0, then it is locally induced by an L(α)L^{(\mp \alpha)}-divergence. We define in this context a canonical divergence which extends the one for dually flat manifolds.

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