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Transport meets Variational Inference: Controlled Monte Carlo Diffusions

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arxiv 2307.01050 v12 pith:DXP7OMN4 submitted 2023-07-03 stat.ML cs.LG

classification stat.MLcs.LG
keywords carlocmcdcontrolleddiffusioninferenceiterativemontetransport
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Connecting optimal transport and variational inference, we present a principled and systematic framework for sampling and generative modelling centred around divergences on path space. Our work culminates in the development of the \emph{Controlled Monte Carlo Diffusion} sampler (CMCD) for Bayesian computation, a score-based annealing technique that crucially adapts both forward and backward dynamics in a diffusion model. On the way, we clarify the relationship between the EM-algorithm and iterative proportional fitting (IPF) for Schr{\"o}dinger bridges, deriving as well a regularised objective that bypasses the iterative bottleneck of standard IPF-updates. Finally, we show that CMCD has a strong foundation in the Jarzinsky and Crooks identities from statistical physics, and that it convincingly outperforms competing approaches across a wide array of experiments.

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Cited by 7 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

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