Derivations and Sobolev functions on extended metric-measure spaces

We investigate the first-order differential calculus over extended metric-topological measure spaces. The latter are quartets $\mathbb X=(X,\tau,{\sf d},\mathfrak m)$, given by an extended metric space $(X,{\sf d})$ together with a weaker topology $\tau$ (satisfying suitable compatibility conditions) and a finite Radon measure $\mathfrak m$ on $(X,\tau)$. The class of extended metric-topological measure spaces encompasses all metric measure spaces and many infinite-dimensional metric-measure structures, such as abstract Wiener spaces. In this framework, we study the following classes of objects: - The Banach algebra ${\rm Lip}_b(X,\tau,{\sf d})$ of bounded $\tau$-continuous ${\sf d}$-Lipschitz functions on $X$. - Several notions of Lipschitz derivations on $X$, defined in duality with ${\rm Lip}_b(X,\tau,{\sf d})$. - The metric Sobolev space $W^{1,p}(\mathbb X)$, defined in duality with Lipschitz derivations on $X$. Inter alia, we generalise both Weaver's and Di Marino's theories of Lipschitz derivations to the extended setting, and we discuss their connections. We also introduce a Sobolev space $W^{1,p}(\mathbb X)$ via an integration-by-parts formula, along the lines of Di Marino's notion of Sobolev space, and we prove its equivalence with other approaches, studied in the extended setting by Ambrosio, Erbar and Savar\'{e}. En route, we obtain some results of independent interest, among which are: - A Lipschitz-constant-preserving extension result for $\tau$-continuous ${\sf d}$-Lipschitz functions. - A novel and rather robust strategy for proving the equivalence of Sobolev-type spaces defined via an integration-by-parts formula and those obtained with a relaxation procedure. - A new description of an isometric predual of the metric Sobolev space $W^{1,p}(\mathbb X)$.