A caveat on metrizing convergence in distribution on Hilbert spaces

We consider Sobolev-type distances on probability measures over separable Hilbert spaces involving the Schatten- p norms, which include as special cases a distance first introduced by Bourguin and Campese (2020) when p = 2 , and a distance introduced by Giné and Leon (1980) when p = ∞ . Our analysis shows that, unless p = ∞ , these distances fail to metrize convergence in distribution in infinite dimensions. This clarifies several inconsistencies and misconceptions in the recent literature that arose from confusion between different types of distances.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Statistics & Probability Letters
Published
2026-02-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spl.2026.110671
Primary Topic
Advanced Harmonic Analysis Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

A caveat on metrizing convergence in distribution on Hilbert spaces

Solesne Bourguin, Simon Campese, Giovanni Peccati, Federico Bassetti
Statistics & Probability Letters
Advanced Harmonic Analysis Research
article

A caveat on metrizing convergence in distribution on Hilbert spaces

Solesne Bourguin, Simon Campese, Giovanni Peccati, Federico Bassetti
article en

Abstract

We consider Sobolev-type distances on probability measures over separable Hilbert spaces involving the Schatten- p norms, which include as special cases a distance first introduced by Bourguin and Campese (2020) when p = 2 , and a distance introduced by Giné and Leon (1980) when p = ∞ . Our analysis shows that, unless p = ∞ , these distances fail to metrize convergence in distribution in infinite dimensions. This clarifies several inconsistencies and misconceptions in the recent literature that arose from confusion between different types of distances.

Statistics & Probability LettersVol. 233
Boston University (US), Universität Hamburg (DE), University of Luxembourg (LU), University of Massachusetts Boston (US), Hamburg University of Technology (DE), Politecnico di Milano (IT)
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 66%
Advanced Harmonic Analysis Research
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.