On strict convexity and $C^1$ regularity of potential functions in optimal transportation

Abstract

This note concerns the relationship between conditions on cost functions and domains and the convexity properties of potentials in optimal transportation and the continuity of the associated optimal mappings. In particular, we prove that if the cost function satisfies the condition (A3), introduced in our previous work with Xinan Ma, the densities and their reciprocals are bounded and the target domain is convex with respect to the cost function, then the potential is continuously differentiable and its dual potential strictly concave with respect to the cost function. Our result extends, by different and more direct proof, similar results of Loeper proved by approximation from our earlier work on global regularity.