Optimal transport: discretization and algorithms

Quentin Merigot, Boris Thibert

Published 2020-03-02Version 1

This chapter describes techniques for the numerical resolution of optimal transport problems. We will consider several discretizations of these problems, and we will put a strong focus on the mathematical analysis of the algorithms to solve the discretized problems. We will describe in detail the following discretizations and corresponding algorithms: the assignment problem and Bertsekas auction's algorithm; the entropic regularization and Sinkhorn-Knopp's algorithm; semi-discrete optimal transport and Oliker-Prussner or damped Newton's algorithm, and finally semi-discrete entropic regularization. Our presentation highlights the similarity between these algorithms and their connection with the theory of Kantorovich duality.