Exact Asymptotics for the 2D Euclidean Random Matching Problem

Abstract

We determine the exact first-order asymptotics of the expected optimal cost in two-dimensional random bipartite matching, for every finite power cost $q\ge 1$, on the flat torus. In the endpoint case $q=1$, this answers a question by Talagrand, in the periodic case. The argument involves the closely related asymptotics of the energy of the solution of the $p$-Poisson equation with a regularized white-noise source. In the limit of vanishing regularization parameter, we identify this energy as the solution of a Variational Martingale Problem on a limiting Gaussian filtration, whose value is characterized by a parabolic Monge-Ampère flow.