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In this article we study a variational problem providing a way to extend for all times minimizing geodesics connecting two given probability measures, in the Wasserstein space. This is simply obtained by allowing for negative coefficients in the classical variational characterization of Wasserstein barycenters. We show that this problem admits two equivalent convex formulations: the first can be seen as a particular instance of Toland duality and the second is a barycentric optimal transport problem. We propose an efficient numerical scheme to solve this latter formulation based on entropic regularization and a variant of Sinkhorn algorithm.

We propose a variational finite volume scheme to approximate the solutions to Wasserstein gradient flows. The time discretization is based on an implicit linearization of the Wasserstein distance expressed thanks to Benamou-Brenier formula, whereas space discretization relies on upstream mobility two-point flux approximation finite volumes. Our scheme is based on a first discretize then optimize approach in order to preserve the variational structure of the continuous model at the discrete level. Our scheme can be applied to a wide range of energies, guarantees non-negativity of the discrete solutions as well as decay of the energy. We show that our scheme admits a unique solution whatever the convex energy involved in the continuous problem, and we prove its convergence in the case of the linear Fokker-Planck equation with positive initial density. Numerical illustrations show that it is first order accurate in both time and space, and robust with respect to both the energy and the initial profile.

The Wasserstein gradient flow structure of the PDE system governing multiphase flows in porous media was recently highlighted in [C. Canc\`es, T. O. Gallou\"et, and L. Monsaingeon, {\it Anal. PDE} 10(8):1845--1876, 2017]. The model can thus be approximated by means of the minimizing movement (or JKO) scheme, that we solve thanks to the ALG2-JKO scheme proposed in [J.-D. Benamou, G. Carlier, and M. Laborde, {\it ESAIM Proc. Surveys}, 57:1--17, 2016]. The numerical results are compared to a classical upstream mobility Finite Volume scheme, for which strong stability properties can be established.

We show that the widely used model governing the motion of two incompressible immiscible fluids in a possibly heterogeneous porous medium has a formal gradient flow structure. More precisely, the fluid composition is governed by the gradient flow of some non-smooth energy. Starting from this energy together with a dissipation potential, we recover the celebrated Darcy-Muskat law and the capillary pressure law governing the flow thanks to the principle of least action. Our interpretation does not require the introduction of any algebraic transformation like, e.g., the global pressure or the Kirchhoff transform, and can be transposed to the case of more phases.