Physics Innovation Via Optimal Transport

Physics has long described the world through principles of least action, characterising systems by their response to "vertical" perturbations or variations. Inspired by the mathematical field of optimal transport, physicists have recently turned to a different kind of perturbation: "horizontal" variations of the domain, in which a ground state is modelled as a measure and rearranged by push-forwards through transport maps. This IPAM workshop brings together experts in cosmology, particle physics, quantum field theory, general relativity and optimal transport to examine how transport tools can address new problems in physics, and how physically principled methods inspire mathematical, statistical and computational innovation within optimal transport itself. The programme includes a poster session; registration includes a remote-participation option.