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Statistical inference for empirical heat-kernel Sinkhorn metrics

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Abstract

We estimate fixed smooth pullback entries of the inverse weighted-Laplacian metric of an unknown smooth strictly positive density on a flat torus. The estimator uses symmetric heat-kernel Sinkhorn normalization of the sample and prescribed score functions, without density evaluations. For every fixed dimension we establish a joint, population-centered root-n central limit theorem as the heat bandwidth tends to zero. The proof gives a signed-measure Taylor expansion on one Sobolev space, an explicit influence function including normalization and inverse response, and a consistent empirical covariance estimator using exact solves. A scalar Hessian identity with the moving integration measure improves the sufficient remainder budget. The population tensor has even finite asymptotic jets; fixed multiband extrapolation removes enough bias to retain the same limiting covariance. The influence is the canonical gradient, and the estimator attains the pointwise information bound under smooth local density submodels. Finally, an observed scaling, spectral-gap and inverse-residual certificate produces an actual finite first-hit output with negligible root-n metric error. Its certified-arithmetic realization requires effective convergent input enclosures. The stated sufficient bandwidth conditions govern the inference results. A separate deterministic weighted-norm certificate controls inexact influence solves, residual-tilted laws and original-law covariance, including singular joint covariances. Its conditional gap and scale inputs do not give an atom-independent runtime.

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Available editions

  1. Edition 5 · 2026-11-01 · public
  2. Edition 4 · 2026-10-31 · public
  3. Edition 3 · 2026-10-27 · public
  4. Edition 2 · 2026-10-26 · public
  5. Edition 1 · 2026-10-22 · public

Research details

Subjects
Mathematics · Probability and Statistics
Keywords
Sinkhorn metric, diffusion maps, inverse weighted Laplacian, asymptotic linearity, semiparametric efficiency, observed stopping
Manuscript date
2026-10-22
Reader reuse
No additional permission granted

Scope

Fixed-dimensional smooth positive torus densities and finitely many smooth prescribed scores under periodic heat normalization. Population-centered joint inference, bias removal, pointwise efficiency and observed metric-error stopping are complemented by deterministic weighted-norm control of inexact influence solves, residual-tilted laws and original-law covariance, including singular joint covariances, under the stated gap and scale inputs.

Disclosures

AI systems assisted mathematical development, literature discovery, proof checking and manuscript preparation, as disclosed in the paper. The author is responsible for the statements, attribution and presentation.

Reproduction

The eight-member publication package includes the complete nineteen-page manuscript, self-contained LaTeX, reader instructions, citation metadata, manifest, checksums and the deterministic covariance-certificate supplement. Compile with a current LaTeX installation or Tectonic. The supplied PDF is the reference artifact; compiler and font versions may change rebuilt bytes. See the included reader instructions for exact certificate assumptions.

References and related resources

  1. C. L. Wormell and S. Reich, Spectral convergence of diffusion maps (2021)
  2. X. Cheng and B. Landa, Bi-stochastically normalized graph Laplacian (2024)
  3. N. Kessler, R. Magnet and J. Feydy, Sinkhorn Normalization of Diffusion Kernels (2026)
  4. Z. Goldfeld, K. Kato, G. Rioux and R. Sadhu, Limit Theorems for Entropic Optimal Transport Maps and the Sinkhorn Divergence (2024)
  5. C. Li, N. García Trillos, H. Li and L. Suchan, Central limit theorems for the eigenvalues of graph Laplacians on data clouds (2025)
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  7. H. Kono, Central Limit Theorems for Optimal Transport Functionals (2026)
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  10. S. Schubr, Sharp convergence of heat-kernel Sinkhorn metrics, edition 1 (2026)
  11. S. Schubr, Leading bias and positive correction of heat-kernel Sinkhorn metrics, edition 1 (2026)
  12. A. W. van der Vaart, Asymptotic Statistics, Cambridge University Press (1998)