Multiperiod Martingale Transport

Abstract

Consider a multiperiod optimal transport problem where distributions $\mu_{0},\dots,\mu_{n}$ are prescribed and a transport corresponds to a scalar martingale $X$ with marginals $X_{t}\sim\mu_{t}$. We introduce particular couplings called left-monotone transports; they are characterized equivalently by a no-crossing property of their support, as simultaneous optimizers for a class of bivariate transport cost functions with a Spence--Mirrlees property, and by an order-theoretic minimality property. Left-monotone transports are unique if $\mu_{0}$ is atomless, but not in general. In the one-period case $n=1$, these transports reduce to the Left-Curtain coupling of Beiglb\"ock and Juillet. In the multiperiod case, the bivariate marginals for dates $(0,t)$ are of Left-Curtain type, if and only if $\mu_{0},\dots,\mu_{n}$ have a specific order property. The general analysis of the transport problem also gives rise to a strong duality result and a description of its polar sets. Finally, we study a variant where the intermediate marginals $\mu_{1},\dots,\mu_{n-1}$ are not prescribed.