Transitive graphs of non-negative Ollivier-Ricci curvature have polynomial growth

Abstract

We prove that every transitive graph of non-negative Ollivier-Ricci curvature has polynomial growth. We deduce from this and a theorem of Brena and Brue that a finitely generated group admits a Cayley graph of non-negative Ollivier-Ricci curvature if and only if it is virtually abelian. Beyond the transitive setting, we also prove a quasi-polynomial $r^{O(\sqrt{\log r})}$ volume bound for balls around typical vertices in finite bounded-degree graphs of non-negative Ollivier-Ricci curvature, greatly strengthening a theorem of Salez (GAFA 2022).

35 pages + appendix. V2: New title, new coauthor, significantly stronger results