Shape spaces in terms of Wasserstein geometry

Abstract

For a Polish space $X$, we define the Shape space ${\mathcal{S}}_p(X)$ to be the Wasserstein space $W_p(X)$ modulo the action of a subgroup $G$ of the isometry group $ISO(X)$ of $X$, where the action is given by the pushforward of measures. The Wasserstein distance can then naturally be transformed into a \emph{Shape distance} on Shape space if $X$ and the action of $G$ are proper. This is shown for example to be the case for complete connected Riemannian manifolds with $G$ being equipped with the compact-open topology. Before finally proposing a notion for tangent spaces on the Shape space ${\mathcal{S}}_2({\mathbb{R}}^n)$, it is shown that ${\mathcal{S}}_p(X)$ is Polish as well in case $X$ and the action of $G$ are indeed proper. Also, the metric geodesics in ${\mathcal{S}}_p(X)$ are put in relation to the ones in $W_p(X)$.