Optimal maps in essentially non-branching spaces

Abstract

In this note we prove that in a metric measure space $(X, d, m)$ verifying the measure contraction property with parameters $K \in \mathbb{R}$ and $1< N< \infty$, any optimal transference plan between two marginal measures is induced by an optimal map, provided the first marginal is absolutely continuous with respect to $m$ and the space itself is essentially non-branching. In particular this shows that there exists a unique transport plan and it is induced by a map.