Speed-Accuracy Relations for Diffusion Models: Wisdom from Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics and Optimal Transport

We discuss a connection between a generative model, called the diffusion model, and nonequilibrium thermodynamics for the Fokker-Planck equation, called stochastic thermodynamics. Using techniques from stochastic thermodynamics, we derive the speed-accuracy relations for diffusion models, which are...

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Main Authors: Kotaro Ikeda, Tomoya Uda, Daisuke Okanohara, Sosuke Ito
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2025-07-01
Series:Physical Review X
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/x5vj-8jq9
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author Kotaro Ikeda
Tomoya Uda
Daisuke Okanohara
Sosuke Ito
author_facet Kotaro Ikeda
Tomoya Uda
Daisuke Okanohara
Sosuke Ito
author_sort Kotaro Ikeda
collection DOAJ
description We discuss a connection between a generative model, called the diffusion model, and nonequilibrium thermodynamics for the Fokker-Planck equation, called stochastic thermodynamics. Using techniques from stochastic thermodynamics, we derive the speed-accuracy relations for diffusion models, which are inequalities that relate the accuracy of data generation to the entropy production rate. These relations can be interpreted as the relations between accuracy and the speed of the diffusion dynamics in the absence of the nonconservative force. From a stochastic thermodynamic perspective, our results provide quantitative insight into how best to generate data in diffusion models. The optimal learning protocol is introduced by the geodesic of space of the 2-Wasserstein distance in optimal transport theory. We numerically illustrate the validity of the speed-accuracy relations for diffusion models with different noise schedules and different data. We numerically discuss our results for optimal and suboptimal learning protocols. We also demonstrate the applicability of our results to data generation from the real-world image datasets.
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institution DOAJ
issn 2160-3308
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher American Physical Society
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series Physical Review X
spelling doaj-art-9b3550ef4ebf4121a63cd0949cff744a2025-08-20T03:09:32ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review X2160-33082025-07-0115303103110.1103/x5vj-8jq9Speed-Accuracy Relations for Diffusion Models: Wisdom from Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics and Optimal TransportKotaro IkedaTomoya UdaDaisuke OkanoharaSosuke ItoWe discuss a connection between a generative model, called the diffusion model, and nonequilibrium thermodynamics for the Fokker-Planck equation, called stochastic thermodynamics. Using techniques from stochastic thermodynamics, we derive the speed-accuracy relations for diffusion models, which are inequalities that relate the accuracy of data generation to the entropy production rate. These relations can be interpreted as the relations between accuracy and the speed of the diffusion dynamics in the absence of the nonconservative force. From a stochastic thermodynamic perspective, our results provide quantitative insight into how best to generate data in diffusion models. The optimal learning protocol is introduced by the geodesic of space of the 2-Wasserstein distance in optimal transport theory. We numerically illustrate the validity of the speed-accuracy relations for diffusion models with different noise schedules and different data. We numerically discuss our results for optimal and suboptimal learning protocols. We also demonstrate the applicability of our results to data generation from the real-world image datasets.http://doi.org/10.1103/x5vj-8jq9
spellingShingle Kotaro Ikeda
Tomoya Uda
Daisuke Okanohara
Sosuke Ito
Speed-Accuracy Relations for Diffusion Models: Wisdom from Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics and Optimal Transport
Physical Review X
title Speed-Accuracy Relations for Diffusion Models: Wisdom from Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics and Optimal Transport
title_full Speed-Accuracy Relations for Diffusion Models: Wisdom from Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics and Optimal Transport
title_fullStr Speed-Accuracy Relations for Diffusion Models: Wisdom from Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics and Optimal Transport
title_full_unstemmed Speed-Accuracy Relations for Diffusion Models: Wisdom from Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics and Optimal Transport
title_short Speed-Accuracy Relations for Diffusion Models: Wisdom from Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics and Optimal Transport
title_sort speed accuracy relations for diffusion models wisdom from nonequilibrium thermodynamics and optimal transport
url http://doi.org/10.1103/x5vj-8jq9
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AT daisukeokanohara speedaccuracyrelationsfordiffusionmodelswisdomfromnonequilibriumthermodynamicsandoptimaltransport
AT sosukeito speedaccuracyrelationsfordiffusionmodelswisdomfromnonequilibriumthermodynamicsandoptimaltransport