Reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces on manifolds: Sobolev and diffusion spaces

We study reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS) on a Riemannian manifold. In particular, we discuss under which condition Sobolev spaces are RKHS and characterize their reproducing kernels. Further, we introduce and discuss a class of smoother RKHS that we call diffusion spaces. We illustrate the general results with a number of detailed examples. While connections between Sobolev spaces, differential operators and RKHS are well known in the Euclidean setting, here we present a self-contained study of analogous connections for Riemannian manifolds. By collecting a number of results in unified a way, we think our study can be useful for researchers interested in the topic.