Li-Yau and Harnack type inequalities in $RCD^*(K,N)$ metric measure spaces

Abstract

Metric measure spaces satisfying the reduced curvature-dimension condition $CD^*(K,N)$ and where the heat flow is linear are called $RCD^*(K,N)$-spaces. This class of non smooth spaces contains Gromov-Hausdorff limits of Riemannian manifolds with Ricci curvature bounded below by $K$ and dimension bounded above by $N$. We prove that in $RCD^*(K,N)$-spaces the following properties of the heat flow hold true: a Li-Yau type inequality, a Bakry-Qian inequality, the Harnack inequality.