Non-linear Fokker-Planck equations from conformal metrics and scalar curvature

Abstract

We present an argument which intends to explore a potential geometric origin of a class of non-linear Fokker-Planck equations related to the mesoscopic behavior of systems conjecturally described by the $q$-entropy. We argue that the appearance of the non-linear term(s) in such equations can be ascribed to the fact that the effective mesoscopic metric describing the behavior of the underlying system may not be the originally chosen one, but a conformal deformation of it. Motivated by Liouville's theorem, we highlight the role played by the scalar curvature of conformally related metrics in establishing such a non-linear Fokker-Planck equation.