The statistical structure on a manifold M is predicated upon a special kind of coupling between the Riemannian metric g and a torsion-free affine connection ∇ on the TM, such that ∇g is totally symmetric, forming, by definition, a “Codazzi pair” t∇, gu. In this paper, we first investigate various transformations of affine connections, including additive translation (by an arbitrary (1,2)-tensor K), multiplicative perturbation (through an arbitrary invertible operator L on TM), and conjugation (through a non-degenerate two-form h). We then study the Codazzi coupling of ∇ with h and its coupling with L, and the link between these two couplings. We introduce, as special cases of K-translations, various transformations that generalize traditional projective and dual-projective transformations, and study their commutativity with L-perturbation and h-conjugation transformations. Our derivations allow affine connections to carry torsion, and we investigate conditions under which torsions are preserved by the various transformations mentioned above. While reproducing some known results regarding Codazzi transform, conformal-projective transformation, etc., we extend much of these geometric relations, and hence obtain new geometric insights, for the general case of a non-degenerate two-form h (instead of the symmetric g) and an affine connection with possibly non-vanishing torsion. Our systematic approach establishes a general setting for the study of Information Geometry based on transformations and coupling relations of affine connections.

We provide a unified approach for constructing Wick words in mixed q-Gaussian algebras, which are generated by sj = aj +a ∗ j , j = 1, · · · , N, where aia ∗ j −qija ∗ j ai = δij . Here we also allow equality in −1 ≤ qij = qji ≤ 1. This approach relies on Speicher’s central limit theorem and the ultraproduct of von Neumann algebras. We also use the unified argument to show that the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck semigroup is hypercontractive, the Riesz transform associated to the number operator is bounded, and the number operator satisfies the Lp Poincar´e inequalities with constants C √p. Finally we prove that the mixed q-Gaussian algebra is weakly amenable and strongly solid in the sense of Ozawa and Popa. Our approach is mainly combinatorial and probabilistic. The results in this paper can be regarded as generalizations of previous results due to Speicher, Biane, Lust-Piquard, Avsec, et al.

We consider the mixed q-Gaussian algebras introduced by Speicher which are generated by the variables Xi = li + l ∗ i , i = 1, . . . , N, where l ∗ i lj − qij lj l ∗ i = δi,j and −1 < qij = qji < 1. Using the free monotone transport theorem of Guionnet and Shlyakhtenko, we show that the mixed q-Gaussian von Neumann algebras are isomorphic to the free group von Neumann algebra L(FN ), provided that maxi,j |qij | is small enough. Similar results hold in the reduced C ∗ -algebra setting. The proof relies on some estimates which are generalizations of Dabrowski’s results for the special case qij ≡ q.