These notes recapitulate the high level mathematical principles behind different techniques for generative modeling. I show the connections between optimal transport and standard techniques such as Schr{ö}dinger bridge and flow matching.
arXiv:2605.29713v2 Announce Type: replace-cross
Abstract: This book provides a compact, derivation-oriented introduction to the mathematical foundations of modern generative artificial intelligence....
By Tianhua Chen
Many modern generative modeling methods, including diffusion models, normalizing flows, and flow matching, estimate transport maps or plans between distributions without explicitly targeting an optimal transport (OT) map. In applications like generative modeling, the transport cost itself is irrelevant, and this makes it natural to target maps which are more tractable from either a statistical or computational standpoint.
arXiv:2606. 30574v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Many modern generative modeling methods, including diffusion models, normalizing flows, and flow matching, estimate transport maps or plans between distributions without explicitly targeting an optimal transport (OT) map.
By Sivaraman Balakrishnan
arXiv:2606. 15897v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Flow matching is a powerful generative modeling framework, valued for its simplicity and strong empirical performance.
By Kacper Wyrwal, \.Ismail \.Ilkan Ceylan, Alexander Tong
arXiv:2509.26364v3 Announce Type: replace
Abstract: The Schr\"odinger bridge problem is concerned with finding a stochastic dynamical system bridging two marginal distributions that minimises a certa...
By Kirill Tamogashev, Esmeralda S. Whitammer
arXiv:2608. 01692v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We propose an instantiation of flow matching that relies on a time-independent velocity field (an \emph{autonomous flow}) to exactly map between two distributions, so long as the target is singular, i.
By Lee Cheuk-Kit, Florentin Coeurdoux, Peter Potaptchik, Yilun Du, Michael Samuel Albergo, Eric Vanden-Eijnden
arXiv:2609.15072v1 Announce Type: cross
Abstract: Methods of Branched Optimal Transport (BOT) mimic the economy and efficiency of natural tree-like structures, such as those found in rivers and biolo...
By Semyon Semenov, Viktor Kovalchuk, Meir Roketlishvili, Albert Baichorov, Fakhri Karray, Martin Takac, Arip Asadulaev
arXiv:2608. 05666v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We introduce Potential Matching Optimal Transport (PMOT), a potential-flow framework for general $p$-cost optimal transport with $c_p(x,y)=\|x-y\|^p$.
By Lishuo Zhang (School of Mathematical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Ruizhi Huang (School of Mathematical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Yang Yu (School of Mathematical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Lei Li (School of Mathematical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Institute of Natural Sciences, MOE-LSC, Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
arXiv:2605. 29920v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: We introduce Midpoint Generative Models (MGM), a principled framework for training one-step generative models.
By Daniil Shlenskii, Nikita Gushchin, Lev Novitskiy, Dmitry V. Dylov, Alexander Korotin
We introduce Potential Matching Optimal Transport (PMOT), a potential-flow framework for general $p$-cost optimal transport with $c_p(x,y)=\|x-y\|^p$. PMOT parameterizes the CNF velocity field with a scalar potential in the generalized Benamou--Brenier form for the chosen exponent $p$.