On functions of bounded variation on convex domains in Hilbert spaces

We study functions of bounded variation (and sets of finite perimeter) on a convex open set $Omegasubseteq X$, $X$ being an infinite dimensional real Hilbert space. We relate the total variation of such functions, defined through an integration by parts formula, to the short-time behaviour of the semigroup associated with a perturbation of the Ornstein--Uhlenbeck operator.